Dragon's Blood
by Muffy the Dough Slayer
Summary: AU. Dragon story. Suggested by my friend, dreamcatcher shadow. Dean is a supernatural creature, a half-breed dragon on the brink of another war between humans and dragons...and he may be the only one who can stop it. Dean/Cas.
1. Chapter 1: Flying Free

This idea was originally suggested to me by my best friend online and in real life, **dreamcatcher shadow** AKA Cuppie. I like taking on challenges, after all :) Don't worry, I will still be working on my others stories, haha. This just seemed like an interesting idea. I tried writing more of Green Eyes for a little while, got to a slowish part like three pages in, and stopped for the time being. Hopefully I will get back to that one soon enough. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks again for everyone who has been reading my stories, and thank you all so much for kindly reviewing! I hope this series will warrant your wonderful reviews as well? If not, it's been fun writing it anyway!

I'm not going to say too much right now...my head is hurting, my papaw is in the hospital, and there's a bad fight breaking out between two sides of our family, and my appendix is still hurting but I can't do anything about it. So yeah, life in general? Pretty damn suckish at the moment, but hopefully things will turn back around soon!

Disclaimer: Yeah...read my general one...on profile...but yeah, don't own anything...sorry...

General Warnings: Slash, M/M, yaoi, whatever you want to call it; dragons; fire; heights; etc...

Anywho...let's start this story, shall we?

Onward! ...to begin!

* * *

**Dragon's Blood**

_First in the Dragon 'verse_

**Summary:** AU. Dragons (yes, this story involves dragons! Be warned) and humans have been at war for as long as they can remember. There is a peace between them right now, but even that is sure to not last, and one half-breed, Dean Winchester, knows it. As a half-dragon/half-human person, he gets to live the best of both worlds...until his eighteenth birthday. Afterward, all hell is going to break loose on the world, and he may be the only one who can stop it. Dragon story tied together with a plot, mainly. Dean/Cas slash. (Horrible summary, I know, but I'm very tired)

* * *

Chapter One: Flying Free

The night was wide open. Crimson red wings, filled with soft red-orange feathers, spread out across the night sky as a man stood on the edge of a small cliff, which looked out over the lake. Water lapped at the shore far below, clinging to the cliff walls. The man attached to those wings grinned as he released a yell of joy and jumped off the cliff, spreading his wings out to either side of him. He dove downward and then pulled up before he hit the water, barely balancing over the rippling waves as he laughed to himself and pulled up, climbing higher and higher in the sky. The wind slid across his wings, disturbing his soft feathers and echoing through him joyously. With a whoop of glee, he evened himself out in the night sky, far above the cliffs, practically in the clouds. He almost felt like he could touch the sky, like he was one with the stars.

The skies had been cleared for those like him for some time now. It was part of the pact the humans had made with them, and in return, the war was stopped. It was peaceful, for the most part, but even he could tell there was storm brewing on the horizon, for both human and dragon alike.

Yes, that was what he was - a dragon. Well, technically speaking, a half-dragon, force-fed dragon blood when he was born. Given up for adoption at the age of three, he'd been taken in by one of the Trusted, or one of the families the dragons trusted to raise their offspring, or at least the half-breed ones. Dragons were real, but they were different than what those myths and legends suggested. Well, technically speaking, there were dragons like that. But not him.

He didn't even look like a dragon. Save for the wings, of course, but he could hide them when and if he pleased. And the fire in his eyes, but he could hide that as well. The heat, thought, he could do nothing about that. The heat was there to stay, as he was a dragon of fire, said to have been forged in the fiery pits of hell. He had never met the owner of the blood he'd been given, the dragon who had turned him, but he wasn't going to dwell on it.

Not on a night like this, when the skies were so freely open. Not when he could see the ground far below and there were only a rare few clouds out tonight. Not when he felt so light, like he could do anything, like he was on top of the world. Flying always left him feeling like this, and it was one of his favorite sensations. The wind ruffling his feathers on his wings, echoing through his short-cropped hair…This was the life, as far as he was concerned. Maybe this was why the humans were so angry - because they couldn't partake in this kind of absolute pleasure.

He dove downward, moving quickly toward the ground like a bullet out of the sky, and then pulled upward just before he crashed into the water. He liked flying over the water, feeling invincible, like he could never fall and would never do so. It was exhilarating, and it got the adrenaline pumping through him like nothing else did.

He angled himself upward once more, climbing quickly toward the stars, and shouted with glee as he evened himself out, looking down at the world. Flying was truly a wonderful gift bestowed upon the dragon-kind. He wasn't sure what he would do if he were denied the ability of flight, denied the excitement and adrenaline rush it gave him.

He knew he would have to land soon, though - he couldn't fly as much as he used to, for humans were beginning to grow hostile again. They would shoot him down if they saw him, and so it was always risky to fly, but there was no way he was going to stop. He wouldn't really be living if he stopped, after all. Not really.

Diving downward for the last time, he landed softly on the ground, spreading his wings out at his sides in a large, drawn-out stretch. He loved having his wings out, loved the sensation he got when the wind howled through them, but he knew it was not safe to have them out for too long. So he summoned them back into his body, and they folded into him eagerly, following his unspoken command as though it were second nature, which it was.

The house he lived in wasn't far off - he never strayed too far away from home, because other humans lived not too far away and they would shoot him down or something. They had warned him not to risk it and he wasn't going to go against them.

The walk back to his house was quick - they didn't live far off from the lake, where he liked to fly. He entered the house quickly enough and smiled at the face of Elizabeth, his foster mom, one of the Trusted. She looked up at him from the dishes and smiled, her brown eyes bright. "Hey, Dean," she greeted cheerfully, as she always did, "did you have a nice flight?"

She knew what he was, as one of the Trusted. He nodded and smiled at her. "Yeah, it's nice out tonight." He sat down at the kitchen table even though he knew he had missed dinner. Elizabeth seemed understanding, though, and she always saved him a little something. She pulled out a plate wrapped in foil and handed it to him.

"It should still be a little warm," she said, "but you can heat it up if you want."

Dean nodded in thanks before he tore open the foil and greedily began to eat, his hunger taking over. As a half-breed dragon, his appetite was bigger than a normal human's and required a lot more meat and protein. If he didn't get enough every day, then his immune system weakened and he usually got sick. It had happened once to twice before, after all. Elizabeth was good at getting him what he needed, though.

The food was gone in no time and he smiled at her. "Thanks, El," he said to her sincerely.

"No problem, Dean." She picked up his plate and chuckled. "It's nice to see a man actually clean his own plate." She put it in the sink and turned back toward him, smiling warmly. "Sam is waiting for you upstairs - he said something about movie night?"

Dean smirked. "Yeah," he said with a shrug. "Kid suckered me into watching some girly-ass movie with him."

"Language," Elizabeth chided, but she was grinning. "Well, why don't you go on up to him, and I'll finish up down here."

"Thanks, El. Night," he said, because he didn't think he'd be back down again tonight. He left the kitchen and climbed the stairs two at a time.

Elizabeth and John Winchester were his foster parents, both part of the Trusted. Sam was their son - technically John's son, because his wife, Mary, had died shortly have Sam was born due to a horrible case of the flu, but Elizabeth was a wonderful person and a good mother to Sam, especially since he'd never known Mary in the first place. Dean had met her once, he thought, but he couldn't quite remember. He'd only been around four at the time. His memory was a little fuzzy.

He knocked lightly on Sam's door and then entered, smiling at the sleeping form on the bed. The thirteen-year-old was sleeping soundly, curled up in his covers with the TV on and the screen blue. He must have been waiting, Dean realized. He crossed the room toward the bed and sat down, lightly pressing a hand against Sam's shoulder. Sam jerked sleepily and opened his eyes, peering up at him with murky, hazel depths. "Hey, kiddo," Dean greeted with a smile.

"Dean," Sam said happily as he sat up, grinning. "When did you get back? I was waiting…"

"Just a few minutes ago," Dean told him. "I ate and came up here. You can go back to sleep if you want, Sammy."

Sam always scowled when he called him that but he rarely actually said anything about it. "Let's watch the movie," he said. "You put it in and I'll go get the popcorn."

Dean sighed. "Alright, kiddo, sure." He took to putting the DVD in while Sam disappeared out the door. He could hear the teenager running down the stairs.

Sure, he and Sam weren't technically related, but Dean felt like they were. He liked to think of them as brothers, after all.

Sam returned a few moments later with a big bag of popcorn. "Extra butter?" Dean asked innocently, and Sam nodded, smiling.

"Of course," he said. "Would I forget? Did you put the movie in?"

"Yeah," Dean said as he and Sam sat down on his little brother's bed and silently began to eat popcorn as the film started.

Sure, it was nice when he was out flying…but it was also night to come home to a family like this. It would probably only last another year or so, he knew with a sigh. He was already seventeen and once he was an adult, he was sure he wouldn't be able to stay. Elizabeth had told him once that the dragons would come for him when he was of age, whatever _that_ meant. It might be nice to be with others of his own kind and fly with them, something he could never do here, but he didn't want to leave his family. This was his life, and he couldn't picture himself without it.

But he wasn't going to dwell on that quite right now.

No, right now, he was just going to enjoy the movie and his time with his little brother before Sam got into that horrible teenage stage where he hated everyone. Luckily that hadn't started yet and hopefully Dean wouldn't be around for it.

The thought made him sigh.

"You okay?" Sam asked, eying him.

"I'm fine, Sammy," Dean told him. "Just fine."

And he was, really.

He was just a little torn.

* * *

It was another boring school on another boring day. Honestly Castiel wasn't impressed. He wasn't sure why they had to move here, to this stupid small town in the middle of nowhere. The occupants of said town? Mostly trees. He felt like he was living in a jungle or something, surrounded by wildlife. There weren't many people in this town, either, and the school reflected that. It was small and, again, not impressive. Sighing, he hoisted his backpack over a shoulder and entered the school with the other students after walking the twenty minutes here.

Why did they have to move? What was so wrong with their old school? Shaking his head, he sighed heavily and moved through the halls, searching for his locker. Finally, he found it and he spun in his combination, breathing in relief when it opened on the first try. More often than not, he'd gotten stuck with some lousy locker that refused to open no matter what, and it was always very annoyed and made him late for class.

It was already March, nearing the end of the school year, so he couldn't figure out why they'd moved anyway. It was just going to make him lag behind and stick out like a sore thumb as the new kid.

He shoved his few things into his locker, grabbed his schedule, and decided to try and navigate his way through the halls and try - _try_ - to find his class.

He rounded a corner and nearly bumped into someone. Startled, he jumped back at the same time as they did, which had him sighing as the person grinned at him. "I'm sorry," the guy said, green eyes sparkling with humor, "I should have been watching where I was going."

"Uh…" Castiel said, unsure as to what to. "I'm sorry, it's my fault." He really shouldn't have been looking at his schedule so intently anyway.

The guy shrugged. "Then I guess we're both at fault, eh? Anyway, I haven't seen you around before…are you new?"

"Yes. Today's my first day." He wasn't quite sure why he was telling this guy this, but he didn't dwell on it, just let the words slip out of his mouth.

The green-eyed guy smiled and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. "That's cool. You're probably bored out of your mind, huh? The town looks pretty damn boring, if I say so myself, and I do."

"I guess so," Castiel agreed.

"How about I show you around?"

"Won't you be late?" Castiel asked. It was a nice offer but he didn't want to make someone late just because of him.

The guy shrugged easily. "Nah, doesn't matter. I'm Dean, by the way."

"Castiel."

"Nice to meet you, Cas," Dean said, instantly giving him a nickname. Castiel frowned at it but didn't bother to correct him. For some reason, he got the feeling it wouldn't do a whole lot of good to argue. "C'mon, I'll show you around. What do you have first?"

"Uh…" He looked at his schedule. "Art class, Mrs. Stapleton."

"That's cool," Dean said, grinning. "I had her last year and I hear she's fun to have for first period. You can drop your things in there and I can take you to show you around, if you want."

"You really don't have to," Castiel told him seriously.

"It's fine," Dean told him, smiling, "and I want to. It's not fun being the new kid."

"You new?"

"No, but I've seen enough people pass through this school to know what it must be like," Dean said, chuckling. "I try to make it as easy on them as I can."

"So you do this for all the new students?" For some reason, that made a knot form in his stomach even though he wasn't sure why. It should have loosened it, if anything, to know that Dean wasn't just doing this for him, that he did it for everyone.

"Only the ones I like," Dean said with a smirk, a cocksure twist of his lips as he turned and started walking, leaving Castiel to gape after him momentarily before he quickly caught up, not knowing his way around the school. "The good thing about this school," Dean started, "is that it's not very big. Once you get the basics for where everything is, you're pretty much set for life. What grade are you in?"

"I'm a Junior this year."

"Same here," Dean told him. "Okay, here's the art room - go ahead and drop your things off and let the teacher know you're alive."

Castiel frowned but did as he was told. He took his things to the room and the teacher, Mrs. Stapleton, looked at him from under a small veil of her somewhat short black hair, the color of his own. "Yes?" she asked kindly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm new to your class," he told her.

"Oh, you must be Castiel," she said, nodding. "I have you seated in the back…is that alright?"

"That's fine." He preferred the back. Not a lot happened back there and he didn't have to worry about being front and center in front of everyone he didn't know.

"That's good."

"Is it okay if I drop my things off? Dean is going to show me around."

She looked around him and toward the doorway. He turned to see Dean smiling at her and waving. She smiled and looked back at Castiel. "That's fine, Castiel. Return when you are ready. I can write you both a pass if you want."

"That'd be great, thanks," Castiel said honestly.

"Go ahead and put your things down," she said as she pulled out a piece of paper and started writing on it.

Castiel took his things to the back of the room and put them down on a desk before he returned to the front of the class and grabbed the pass as she handed it to him. He nodded his thanks to her and then joined Dean in the hall, holding out the pass to him.

"That was nice of her," Dean commented. "Alright, c'mon - stick with me and soon you'll know this place like the back of your hand."

Castiel sighed and followed after him, not sure he really wanted to get to know the school that well. But someone was offering to show him around and who was he turn down a good tour? Besides, Dean seemed nice enough and friendly, and if he could make a friend on the first day, then maybe there was actually hope for this school after all.

Maybe.

* * *

That night, when Dean went out on his flight, he thought about the new kid at school, Castiel. He wasn't sure why, he just did. And suddenly the feel of wind against his wings wasn't doing it for him anymore. It wasn't getting him excited, wasn't getting his adrenaline pumping.

He went home that night disappointed. Disappointed that the flight hadn't been everything it usually was. He entered the house, sighed, and climbed the stairs to his room.

"How was the flight?" Sam asked as he met him in the hallway. Sam also knew what he was - everyone in this house knew. It was people outside of the house, outside of this patch of trees, that didn't know, that would never know so long as Dean had his way.

"Okay," Dean murmured in response.

"Just okay?"

"I guess."

"Wanna watch another movie?"

"Sure." At least it would take his mind off the flight and off of Castiel. He wasn't sure why he was even still thinking about him anyway. He was just some new kid at school.

He followed Sam to his room and the two sat down to watch a nice, distracting movie.

* * *

"The ancient laws have spoken," Eon said with a sigh, his dragon voice rough and growling even though his words themselves were rather calm and collected. He wasn't used to taking on such a human form, hadn't done it in nearly ten years, but it seemed necessary at the moment.

Across from him at the end of a long wooden table sat Elizabeth Winchester. She nodded slowly, tears present in her brown eyes as she looked down at the table with dismay.

"You have known this has been coming for quite some time now," Eon told her.

"Yes," she uttered quietly.

"Then it is settled. If Dean does not take a mate who accepts him completely in the months to come, before his eighteenth birthday, then he will be consumed with fire and taken over by the dragon within. As is the way of our people."

"But he's only seventeen," Elizabeth whispered.

"Dragon law states that should a half-breed not take a mate to satisfy the hunger within, then said dragon will become a monster."

"But what do you mean, accepts him completely?"

"They must know what he is, who he is, and who he is to become. The two of them must join."

"Join?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"That's enough questions," Eon said, narrowing his fiery red eyes at her. "You have until August 1st. On the eve of his birthday is when the fire will consume him. He must take a mate."

"If he doesn't?"

"We need him…I suppose one will have to be chosen for him."

"But that's not right."

"That is the way of our kind," Eon said with an honest growl this time. "We need him and have use of him. He must take a mate. If he does not, then one will be created for him."

* * *

That night, Castiel dreamed of fire. It was glorious and gave off an intense yet comforting heat. It was licking at the sides of Dean and massive shadows of what looked like wings stuck out behind him, seemingly brought to life by the flames themselves.

That night, Castiel dreamed of fire and Dean.

* * *

Anyway, there you have it...what do you think? Should I continue? Is it worth continuing? Please let me know, otherwise I'm fine with leaving it! :) Thanks again, you guys, and please continue to review! (Sorry if this sucks...tired...headache...so yeah, lol sorry) Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	2. Chapter 2: A Dragon

Haha sorry it's taken me so long to update! I had half of this chapter done for a while but didn't know what to do next, then I got a random urge and thus this chapter was born! Haha ;) I know I am slacking in my other stories...lately things have been hectic. Soon they are going to be even more hectic when my Composition class fully starts because that's a _lot_ of essay writing. Sigh. I miss Dramatic Literature! That class was so much fun!

Anyway ;) Quick update on why things have been slow: My papaw is still in the hospital. We just took the last of our finals at school. My head has been killing me. And my appendix is still hurting. So...haha yeah ;) Not fun!

Anywho, to continue with this boring rant of a lecture? Hmm. lol. This chapter was written under influence of sleeping pills (which get rid of the headache most of the time but make me super freaking tired) and was written on a document thingy on my new laptop that doesn't count spelling errors or typos or anything. So if there are mistakes, you know why! lol.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Two: A Dragon

Dean hadn't flown since that night when he didn't feel as excited as he usually did. He blamed it on the fact that he had been going for a flight practically every night and thus the sensation had abated for the time being. He hoped it would return soon, though, because he was itching to get back out there and into the sky. Flying was a part of him that he wanted and needed to have, and to be without it for very long actually managed to make him depressed, like he was a flight junkie or something.

He and Castiel still talked at school when they met in the hallways, and they shared fifth and seventh period together, along with lunch. It was nice, having a friend like Castiel. For some reason, Dean felt as though he could be himself around him, even though he would never actually show Castiel his wings or anything like that - that was just absurd.

So he just enjoyed the friendship while he could, because if Castiel eve learned the truth, he would run. Dean was sure he would. He'd run and tell everyone he could, and soon there would be a very angry town after Dean. His family had warned him about it countless times, which was why he usually didn't even bother to make friends, but with Castiel it came so easy.

Seventh period was dragging on and on and the teacher just kept talking, and Dean felt like smacking his head harshly into something sharp or solid, something could potentially kill him. It was annoying, having to sit here. He swore this was just another form of torture thought up by the adults so they had somewhere to send their kids. Dean wasn't even sure _why_ he had to go here anyway. There were more important things to do, like flying, or thinking about Castiel in his free time, or -

Wait a minute, what? Thinking about Castiel? Oh, hell no, Dean didn't just think that. He was delusional - yeah, that was it. He was tired and so annoyed he couldn't think straight, which completely made sense to him. He didn't really think that, his mind was just a little out of whack, it seemed.

Damn boring classes and their stupid lectures! He would smite them or set them on fire if he could, but he couldn't.

Class finally ended, thank God, and he couldn't wait to get out of there. He and Castiel walked together at the end of the day to head to their lockers, which weren't that far apart from each other, surprisingly. They always walked together. Dean's was just about twenty down from Castiel's, which wasn't really all that far.

It was when Castiel was reaching for the dial to spin the combination that Dean noticed the rough bruising on Castiel's arm, mostly hidden by his shirt sleeve, but he could see it all the same. Without thinking, he moved forward and grabbed Castiel by the shoulders, spinning him toward him as he pulled back the sleeve to reveal a rough bruise in the shape of a handprint. "Cas," he said slowly, his voice low as he felt fire spark within him, "what's this?"

"Nothing," Castiel said.

"Don't give me that," Dean scoffed. "I wasn't born yesterday. What happened?"

"Nothing." Castiel's voice was harsh and cold and Dean knew to drop the subject, but he didn't want to just let this go.

"Cas…" he started.

"Please."

Well, fuck. Dean hadn't heard Castiel say please in the entire week they'd known each other, so what choice did he have but to give in? He nodded slowly and sighed heavily. "Fine…for now, Cas. This isn't over."

It wasn't over by a long shot.

"Thanks, Dean," Castiel murmured, and opened his locker to grab some of his books.

Dean shook his head, hoping he was making the right choice. He wanted to call for help but Castiel had been looking at him with such wide eyes that he couldn't possibly deny him. Castiel hadn't wanted to talk about it and thus neither did Dean, even though on some level, he was pretty sure they needed to do so.

He would let it go for now, he decided, but if he saw more bruising on his friend, he wasn't going to just stop because Castiel said please.

No - he was going to get to the bottom of things then.

Because if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was the thought of his friends getting hurt when he could do something about it. That much was certain.

Suddenly he didn't really want to let Castiel leave just yet. He actually wanted to see if there were any other bruises or marks that he was hiding. "I'll drive you home," Dean suggested.

Castiel smirked. "You don't have to."

"I want to," Dean said with a shrug. "Where do you live?"

"Outskirts of town," Castiel replied. "Near the lake."

Dean frowned because he lived near there too. "Same here," he said, and then smiled. It might be nice to have a friend around. But it could also really get in the way of his flying because he'd have to steer clear of more areas in an effort not to be seen. He didn't like the thought of that.

"Cool," Castiel commented. "But I don't want to trouble you…You don't have to take me home, Dean."

"It's fine," Dean said. "It's on the way."

Castiel seemed to know when he was beaten because he nodded and smiled at him in gratitude. Besides, it was raining outside and Dean couldn't just let his friend walk home in the rain, right? That wasn't very friendly, after all.

He led the way out of the school and into the parking lot. They made it to the car, his '67 cherry black Chevy Impala, soon enough and climbed in. Castiel smirked at the car.

"Nice car," he commented.

Dean beamed at him. "Thanks." Anyone who liked his car was good with him.

John had given him the car last year for his sixteenth birthday and Dean had been driving it ever since. He loved that car - almost as much as he loved flying.

Which was a lot.

The thought made him sigh as he thought back on how that flight hadn't been as great as the previous ones. Why was that? He couldn't quite understand it but he didn't really want to think on it too much for the time being.

The drive was quiet save for the few times Castiel opened his mouth to give him directions, but Dean pretty much knew where he was going. Dean flipped on the music after a moment, unable to stand the silence, and tapped his fingers in rhythm against the steering wheel.

"So how's your first week been?" he asked casually.

"Fine," Castiel told him. "Thanks for showing me around."

"You're my friend," Dean said with an easy shrug, a light roll of his shoulders. "That's what buddies like us do."

A faint smile crossed Castiel's face and for some reason, Dean inwardly cheered with victory. It wasn't that easy to get Castiel to laugh or smile, so he took it as a win when he did manage it. Why it was so important to him, he didn't know, but the wasn't really going to question it.

A hot flash of pain shot through Dean suddenly, causing him to swerve and clutch desperately at his stomach, doubling over. Castiel grabbed the wheel and pulled off the side of the road as Dean stomped down on the brakes. The vehicle skidded to a stop, tires screeching on the ground, and Dean breathed out as he doubled over further, not having to worry about the car anymore.

"Dean?" Castiel asked with concern. A hand landed softly on Dean's shoulder and the heat continued, worsening, growing more painful. A soft cry escaped his lips in the form of a moan as he struggled to swallow it down. "Jesus, you're burning up!" Castiel's soft hand connected with Dean's forehead, and the young half-dragon broke out into a sweat, panting painfully. "What's wrong, Dean?"

"Dunno," Dean breathed, his vision beginning to blur as he sucked in sharp breaths, his lungs aching for air even as his heart raced feverishly.

"You have a phone?" Castiel asked, leaning toward him in worry. Dean could pick up the faintest sounds of his heartbeat, which caused him to frown. Sure, his hearing was a little better because he was part dragon, but that didn't mean it was this great. He shouldn't have been able to hear someone's heart beating, or the way blood was pumping violently through their body with their concern. He could almost _feel_ Castiel's worry growing, and that wasn't right.

Something was very wrong.

He pulled his cell phone out shakily, barely able to grasp it with his suddenly cold and numb fingers. Castiel snatched it from him, presumably to call 9-1-1 but Dean reached out with a trembling hand, clutching at his wrist. "Call Elizabeth."

"Who?" Castiel asked, frowning at him. "You need a hospital!"

"No." Dean shook his head, his vision dimming. He could literally feel himself fading. "No. Call Elizabeth...look through...the contacts...call her, she'll...know what to do..."

And then his head dipped to the side.

* * *

"Dean!" Castiel cried as Dean's head lolled limply to the side, against the driver's seat. Shakily, Castiel reached out and gripped Dean's shoulder tightly, feeling the unnatural warmth as it began to encase him in the car. Dean was too hot. "Dean!" He shook him, gently at first, but then his movements became more forceful as panic began to tightly take hold of him. Sure, he didn't know Dean that well and he hadn't been here that long, but Dean had been kind to him, had shown him around, was his friend...and it wasn't natural for this to happen to people.

His first instinct was to call for an ambulance or something. Dean didn't seem to want him to. Was that because maybe this town was too small and they didn't _have_ a hospital in it? Castiel wasn't sure, but he conceded to Dean's wishes, trusting his judgement. If he said this Elizabeth person could help, Castiel was willing to do as he said.

So he flipped open Dean's phone and scrolled through the contacts until he came upon the desired name. He highlighted it, clicked it, and then brought the phone to his ear, all the while keeping a light but firm grip on Dean's hot shoulder.

The phone rang once, twice, and then someone finally picked up. "Hello?" a woman, presumably Elizabeth, answered kindly.

Castiel had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could even think about speaking. "Elizabeth?" he asked just to confirm it.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She sounded a little confused.

"I, um...Dean."

"Dean? Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Castiel said, because that much he knew. Something was very wrong. "He just passed out, and he's burning up. He said to call you - what do I do?"

"Where are you, honey?" she asked calmly, as though maybe she had expected this to happen, which really made Castiel wonder. What was going on with his new friend that he didn't know about?

"Just outside of town," Castiel said quickly. "I don't know the street - we're in his car and I'm new, so I don't-"

"Calm down," she said slowly. "Castiel, right? Dean told me about you. Just calm down and I'll be there in a few - I'll find you. Dean's care isn't hard to spot."

Castiel took a few deep breaths and nodded. "Okay, yeah...alright. What's going on?"

"Dean has a medical condition," Elizabeth told him.

"Really? What is it?"

Dean had said nothing to him about it, but then, why would he?

"Just hold tight and I'll be there in a minute. Try to wake him but keep your distance."

With that, she hung up on him and all he heard was the dial tone in his ear. He stared at the phone as he pulled it away, frowning in confusion. Try to wake him but keep his distance? What did she mean by that? Why did he have to keep his distance? Maybe, if this sort of thing happened a lot, Dean grew into a fit when he came out of it? Maybe he'd swing at Castiel or something. He didn't know.

"Dean?" He shook Dean lightly. "Dean, hey? Wake up. C'mon..." He tightened his grip on the hot, solid shoulder and swallowed. "Wake up! Dean! Hey!" Another harsh shake, and then he was jerking his hand back when Dean shifted, rousing slightly, his eyes fluttering open.

Castiel stared.

"Oh my God..."

Dean blinked at him. "Cas?" he murmured painfully, sluggishly. "What is it?"

"Your eyes..."

"W-What?"

"They're crimson. Red. Orange, hell, a damn mixture! They - they look like they're on _fire_."

And then Dean looked away, blinking, and suddenly his eyes were green again. "Shit."

"Dean? What the hell? What's with your eyes?" Castiel slid closer, ignoring the warning Elizabeth had given him. His heart started to race as he recalled something he had learned about the dragon menace, the hated beasts, and that they had crimson-colored eyes and could even sometimes look human. _Human_. Like they could blend in and infiltrate the human world, the ground, which was all the humans had been given after the great war nearly fifty-seven years ago.

But why would Dean's eyes be like that?

Was he a..._dragon_?

_No,_ he said through his mind, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, _no, he's not like that, he's good, he's nice, he's my friend...he's a dragon?_

"Contacts," Dean suddenly said in explanation, sliding his gaze toward Castiel slowly, the color that deep yet bright green they usually were. "I have contacts. Sometimes they slide out of place, that's all. They're pretty cool, huh?" A faint smile ghosted across his face as he gave a disarming shrug.

Castiel started to relax - somewhat. "Contacts?"

"Yeah."

"You wear contacts?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Bad eyesight."

Castiel narrowed his eyes, not quite sure he believed Dean, but he didn't get another chance to ask him about it because at that moment, Dean cried out in pain and threw the door to the car open, struggling out as he collapsed to his knees on the ground, free from his seat belt.

"Dean," Castiel hissed in worry as he hurried out of the car and rushed around to the other side, dropping down next to the trembling form. Dean's skin looked almost red, it was so hot. "I'm going to call an ambulance." He'd decided and he moved to grab the phone out of the front seat, Dean's door still open.

"No," Dean said, and a shaky, cold hand grabbed at him. Why was the hand so cold if Dean's body was so hot?

"Dean?" Now Castiel was beyond worried - he was really beginning to panic. He'd never been in this situation before, had never seen someone quite like this, and he didn't like it. At all.

Another cry erupted from Dean's mouth, and suddenly he shot to his feet, shoving past Castiel as he staggered quickly away.

"Dean! What are you doing? Come back!" Castiel hurried after him. "Shit, what's wrong with you?"

"Gotta go," Dean said, eyes wide and much too bright, too aglow with the heat racing through him. "Gotta go, gotta..." He sounded like he was going to say something else, but he stopped himself and shook his head, his body shuddering slightly. He hunched over, gasping, and Castiel thought he heard the sound of something shifting, like maybe bones. There was a crackling sound and Dean's back shivered.

"Dean?" Castiel put a hand to Dean's shoulder again, worried and fearful at the same time. He had no idea what was going on or what to do. Elizabeth should be there soon, and that calmed him a little, but only just.

"No," Dean hissed, his eyes suddenly flashing to that crimson fire color. Something sparked, just a mere flash of light and dancing flames, and suddenly Castiel was pulling back, gasping as he gripped tightly at his hand.

"W-What?" he whispered, staring at Dean in shock. "What was that?"

"Shit, I'm sorry," Dean said apologetically, his eyes green again and pained. "Please, just...leave. Now. Leave right now." Dean dug the heel of his hand into his face. "Leave, leave, leave, have to go...now."

"Dean?" Castiel was a little frightened, due to that strange spark, wondering what it meant and how it had happened, but he was still worried. Sure, he and Dean had only known each other a week, but it felt like longer. Dean had been kind and friendly toward him since the start, had shown him around the school, had even stood up for him at lunch one day when some people started mouthing off. Was it sad to think that Dean, the guy he'd met only a week ago, was the best friend he'd ever had? Swallowing, he stepped forward again. "Let me help you."

Dean frowned at him. "Cas...you have to go. Now." Another trembling step later and Dean was collapsing, his back shifting. Castiel actually saw it through his clothes, saw the muscles and bones, actually freaking _move_, and he gasped aloud.

"Oh my God, you're a dragon, aren't you?" he asked quietly, his fear beginning to overwhelm him. Suddenly he was locked onto all the things he'd learned about dragons - they were evil, breathed fire, had different types, the most elusive and rare were the fire dragons which essentially were said to be made by fire, they could look human, they owned the skies, they killed many humans...they were dangerous and vile.

And Dean was one of them.

It became clear the moment Dean cried out with release, two fiery red wings protruding from his back to fall limply over him as the dragon lay gasping on his hands and knees, fingers clawing into the ground sharply as long nails grew from the flesh.

"You're a fucking dragon," Castiel hissed, stepping back, staring with wide blue eyes as his heart raced wildly in his chest. "You're one of _them_."

"It's not like that," Dean whispered somewhat weakly. "I'm not...like that...I just...God, Cas, I'm sorry! Please don't hate me."

That gave Castiel pause. For a moment, he and Dean were just staring at each other, blue eyes locked onto fiery red, and then Dean's wings gave a strong, harsh flap as the dragon growled painfully. Dean hurtled upward, into the sky, leaving a wave of air to smack into Castiel and nearly knock him back as he stood staring, blinking against the rays of the sun as Dean disappeared into the clouds.

Dean was a dragon.

And judging by the fiery eyes and wings, the unnatural heat of his body, and the spark that had stung Castiel's hand, he wasn't just any old dragon.

He was a _fire_ dragon.

* * *

Yeah, so...this part wasn't supposed to technically happen until later but I got bored and thought it needed some action...? So, haha, yeah. Good, bad? Oh and oh my gosh, thank you all so much for the reviews! I was thoroughly pleased with the feedback, which really made me want to hurry and update this! Next, I think (hope) I will update Green Eyes 'cause it's been a while, hehe, but I make no promises! Anyway, thanks again for the amazing reviews and please continue to leave them!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	3. Chapter 3: A Scare

Thank you all for kindly reviewing this story! The reviews make me want to update quicker! Sadly, though, I still haven't gotten any farther in Green Eyes...I dunno, I guess I'm just in a slow spot? Haha, I dunno, but yeah. Anyway ;) Hopefully the next chapter of Reverberating Foosteps will be posted soon. It's almost complete (the chapter, anyway, haha, while the actual length of the story continues to vary). Thanks again, you guys! I'm so glad this story is doing so well! I honestly wasn't too sure about it.

Speaking of dragons! My dream last night was AWESOME. It had a dragon in it ;) And if I actually decide to ever write it out, it could wind up being the sequel to this story...or happen near the end of this one, possibly? Depends, haha, but it was awesome. I love dreams!

O.o anyway...enough ranting...

Thanks again and please continue to review! Also, if there is anything you would like to have happen in this story or any of my others, feel free to let me know! I am also open for challenges! (For example, this story was a challenge suggested to me by my friend, lol)

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Three: A Scare

Dean flew, trying desperately to ignore the fiery heat racing through him. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, why his dragon side had decided to show itself so ruthlessly, and in front of Castiel, no less. Tears began to prick at his eyes as he remembered the judgment, the shock, that had been written clearly in Castiel's eyes as he'd stepped back and away from him. It was stupid to think that anyone would ever be able to see past the dragon side of him, to actually get to know him and not care that fire ran through his veins as surely as blood. His wings glided across the sky quickly as he gave a few harsh flaps, wiping furiously at his eyes, which were destined to fully become a fiery red, it seemed, a shade lighter and brighter than his wings.

The air was like a cooling mechanism against his flaming hot skin, his hands still cold even though he wasn't sure as to why. He wasn't sure what was happening to him or why, but he really wanted it to stop. Heat pricked at his skin like tiny flames, and it was even becoming too hot for him, his skin tinged red with the undo heat.

_What's happening to me?_ he wondered briefly, and then gasp as a jolt shook his body, causing him to drop through the sky suddenly. He managed to catch himself after a few feet, and he gripped at his head, struggling to keep flapping and flying correctly in the direction he wanted - home. Home was safe, home was good, and he hoped Elizabeth would have some answers for him. As his Trusted, she should know what was happening and what to do about it, or at least he hoped so. _Just a little further, you can do it...Flap. Flap!_

Another jolt shook his frame and he dropped further through the air, his wings barely able to catch him time as he hit a brief gust of upward air, which steadied him. "W-What?" he uttered shakily. His breaths became puffs of flame, fire seeping from his mouth even as he released a drawn-out, sharp scream, the fire burning his throat as smoke erupted from his nose. He dropped once more, except this time, the pain was too great and he was unable to catch himself. Crashing through the trees, he brought his wings up just in time to save him from face-planting harshly into the ground, but the landing was still rough and unsteady.

He dropped to his knees, gasping, tears burning his eyes as fire tinged his clothes, seemingly coming out of his very core, seeping through his pores to ignite his body. The heat only continued to grow and a shout erupted from his burning throat as he threw his head back, his fingers clawing at the ground as he hunched forward on his knees. Fire shot from his mouth like a hose and caught several trees aglow with the flaming warmth. He felt bones shifting, much as they had been before, but this time it didn't seem to be stopping. They continued to shift, to shudder through his body, and suddenly he felt himself being wrapped in a cocoon of fire, a heat so deep and so _there_ that he couldn't even feel it.

Exhausted, aching and confused, he closed his fiery red eyes and disappeared into the flames.

* * *

Castiel paced through his room, struggling to control his racing thoughts. All he could think about was Dean and how he was a dragon, an actual _dragon_. All he could see in his mind was fire, the spark that had zapped him, and the fiery feathers of Dean's wings, a shade darker than his eyes...eyes that had been green originally, but was that just a disguise? Dragons could look human. Dragons were evil. But Castiel just couldn't picture Dean like that. Dean, in the week he'd known him, had been kind and had become the best friend Castiel had ever had. He'd seemed honestly worried for Castiel's well-being when he'd asked about the bruises, and he was sure Dean hadn't been faking. He just couldn't picture Dean as a ruthless, vile dragon.

But he was...he was a dragon. A fire dragon, of all things, said to be created by fire and to be the most rare and cruel of all the dragons. Conflicting thoughts raced through Castiel's mind. He continued pacing, wondering what to do. He knew that if one saw a dragon, they were supposed to report it to the authorities so that dragon could be taken care of. But the thought of Dean being 'taken care of' like that certainly didn't settle well with Castiel.

In fact, it sent a certain shiver through his body that he couldn't quite explain. Even though dragons were supposed to be mankind's greatest enemy, he just couldn't turn Dean in. Sure, they had only known each other for a week, but for some reason, it really did feel longer than that. Castiel shook his head and collapsed onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow.

_What should I do?_ he thought, growling to himself. _What do I do?_

The door to his room opened suddenly and he gasped, quickly sitting up on his bed, his body rigid. His blue eyes flew wide as a man stumbled into the room, angry looking and a dark, drunken look on his face as he scowled and staggered toward the bed, towering over Castiel as he cowered toward the wall. "D-Dad," he whispered shakily, his heart racing wildly in his chest. It wasn't too often that his father got drunk, but when he did, it always meant the pain was going to be so much worse, and Castiel felt his tear deck swelling up.

His father grabbed his arm roughly and threw him to the ground. As he rolled, the carpet rubbing painfully against his skin, he struggled to regain his footing, his only thought being to _get the hell out of there_. His father slammed him back into the ground and threw a harsh kick to his side, slurring something drunkenly that Castiel couldn't quite understand. However, the blood rushing through his ears due to the pain was pretty damn distracting.

"Stop!" he screeched, struggling to roll away and get to his feet. His father grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged his head back sharply, bending it to a painful angle. A harsh punch landed in his stomach as he was harshly rolled over and pinned, his father's knees digging deep into his arms, causing him to flinch and cry out in pain. Fists slammed into his face, over and over, and he tasted blood due to his busted lip he wriggled and struggled to break free, but he wasn't strong enough. He was just a lanky teen and his father was a bulky, tall man who used his drunken fury to his advantage. "D-Dad, please!" It was hard to talk due to his lip and that way his father kept hitting him. A punch landed in his neck and he gasped, the breath harshly knocked out of him, and he panted to regain it.

"Worthless..." his father growled through a string of drunken slurs. Castiel somehow managed to bring his knee up enough to somehow knock his father off of him enough that his arms were released. He shoved the man away from him and quickly jumped to his feet, staggering out of the room as fast as he could with the pain, his only thought being that he needed to _get out_ as quick as possible.

He stumbled out of the house with a gasp, the night chill in the air slamming into him and burning his lungs as he breathed it in quickly and harshly, his legs pumping quickly as he darted off the front porch with a leap, not bothering to take the stairs for fear that his father would catch up t o him. He hit the ground, gasp, hit his knees, and rolled, coming up standing as he continued to run. Every part of his body, every muscle and joint, ached terribly but he continued running nevertheless, into the trees, the massive trees that surrounded the house. Nearby stood a mountain and around that, a lake - he knew this from pictures and from the one time he'd gone exploring early in the morning before school, not wanting to be home and around his father. He headed toward the mountain eagerly, desperate for escape, release, freedom from his father. Ever since his mother died, things had been rough at home, but lately it had just been ten times worse.

Thinking about it caused bile to form in the back of Castiel's throat, and so he shut similar thoughts down quickly. He continued running, not caring where he was going, and ran up a gentle slope that seemed to go on forever. The further away from the house and his father he was, the better. Some irrational part of his mind whispered that his father would find him if he stopped, but he would be safe if he just kept running, and so he did. He ran for all he was worth, pushing through brambles and low hanging branches blindly, tears pricking furiously at his eyes as the pain increased, his body protesting his movement.

Suddenly his foot slipped and he felt himself falling forward and downward, over the edge of a small cliff. He must have been running up a part of the mountain or something, he realized faintly. Gasping, he clawed and reached frantically for the side and found a brief handhold. He held for everything he was worth, despite the aching and protesting of his sore and abused muscles. "No," he uttered shakily, because sure, he was hurting and his life wasn't necessarily that great, but he didn't want to die. Against his better judgment, he looked down.

Far below him stretched a seemingly endless amount of trees, the tops of them clearly visible to him. To fall would mean death, he was sure, or at least about a million broken bones and no way to move to get help, which would also lead to death. The tears itched more violently at his eyes as he looked back up and tried to claw his way up the side, but it didn't seem to be happening. All it resulted in was him slipping somewhat, and he could feel his grip going. Terrified of trying to move, all he could do was remain still and shout for help, even though he was certain there was no one around to hear him, and no way they would be able to get to him before he fell anyway.

"Help!" he cried as his fingers continued to slip. Why, oh why, couldn't he have just watched where he was going? Why did he have to run so blindly? Growling at his own stupidity, he shook his head and clung more to the side even though his grip was fading, and quickly. "Help! Please!"

Castiel didn't want to die. His mind fought against it with everything he had but it was beginning to seem inevitable. Really and truly inevitable. Death was in his immediate future. Denial clawed at him even as he clawed fervently at the side of the cliff wall.

_I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die..._ It was a mantra that echoed through his mind and body, his denial pure and strong. He couldn't believe this was how it was all going to end. _I DON'T WANNA DIE!_

And then suddenly, like an answer to his prayers, he saw someone move above him on the edge of the cliff. A face peered down at him and he stared, shocked, because it was Dean, frowning in confusion. "Cas? What the hell?" He shook his head. "Hold on, okay?" He reached a hand down and Castiel stretched his aching arm up shakily, struggling to reach him but he was a few inches too short.

"D-Dean, I can't...!" he said shakily, because everything was truly beginning to look hopeless. "Dean!"

And then his grip disappeared. His fingers slid the rest of the way off the rock he was clinging onto and he dropped through the air, taking notice of the shock on Dean's face as he fell.

"DEAN!" he cried, his heart stuttering fearfully in his chest as he plummeted through the air at a quickening speed.

Like a bullet, Dean jumped over after him, his face set in determination as he reached out for Castiel. Castiel felt warm, so very warm, arms encircle him and tug him against an equally warm chest, but they were still falling. Desperately, he buried his face into Dean's chest, trusting him to get them out of this, since he'd jumped over after them. Dean's wings tore from his back like angelic safety, the fiery redness standing out somewhat against the harsh, black night sky, the moon floating high above them seemingly without a care in the world. Their fall stopped abruptly as wind gathered beneath Dean's sturdy, feathered wings, the warm arms still tight around Castiel. The warmth wasn't unpleasant - in fact, it was the opposite. It was good, safe, and made him feel like he belonged, if that made any sense at all.

With a few flaps, they were turning in the air, soaring higher and higher, and Castiel dared to look down. The mountainside was far below them, the tree tops nearly sinking into the ground like ants, they were so small, and he clunged tighter to Dean, gasping. "Don't let me fall," he whispered shakily, unable to stop himself from sliding his arms tightly around Dean's neck. "Please don't."

"Relax," Dean said in that casual, easy, smooth voice of his that seemed to have an immediate, comforting effect on Castiel. "I'm not going to drop you, Cas. Calm down and enjoy the ride."

Enjoy the ride? Yeah, like that was possible! All he wanted to do was plant his feet firmly into the ground and never leave it again. He was sick of heights, sick of feeling the wind all around him, and he just wanted to be put down. But he didn't bother opening his mouth to say anything, mostly because the warmth was all-consuming and he found that he enjoyed this feeling, the weight of Dean's arms clamped around him so tightly, pressing their bodies together in a clingy, intimate way that left him blushing. Why did he like this so much? It didn't quite make sense to him, but he blamed that on the altitude. It was making him think and feel crazy things, that was all. Nothing more.

Dean soared quietly through the air, as though one with the sky, his wings held out like a never-ending strength. Every once in a while, he'd give a small flap, but otherwise, he just glided smoothly, and Castiel dared to look around. The clouds were all around him, the moon so close and so large. It almost felt like he could reach out and touch it, along with the glistening stars that shone down on them like tiny fireworks, splendid in their glory.

"I...guess this isn't so bad," Castiel murmured reluctantly, loosening his hold on Dean's neck somewhat.

Dean's chuckle was a warm rumble through his body. "Not bad at all." Then he dove downward, curving through the air so suddenly that Castiel's death grip was back on his neck, clutching for all he was worth as he gasped in shock and buried his face into Dean's warm chest once more. Like a rocket, they fell from the sky, darting downward so quickly that Castiel was sure something was wrong, that they were going to crash and die.

But then Dean pulled out of it and Castiel heard the barest rippling of small waves. Frowning, he blinked his eyes open and looked to see that they were now gliding about a foot above the waves of the lake surrounding part of the mountain. It looked beautiful from this view, like something inhuman, the sky above it uniquely reflected to shine like a warm glow into Castiel's eyes. Against his judgment, he found himself smiling, even through the aches and pains that echoed through his sore body. Come to think of it, he was pretty sure he looked a mess. Surely his face was bruised and his lip was bloody...

Except, he didn't taste blood anymore. Good, then it must have stopped.

Dean landed gently on the bank of the lake and set Castiel down on his own two feet. Shakily, Castiel stepped back and got used to his own weight as gravity sank into him. In the air, with Dean and his wings and warmth, he'd felt weightless. Swallowing, he looked at Dean, who was frowning at him. "Oh, Cas..." He shook his head and stepped closer to Castiel. Castiel frowned and stepped back. "I'm not going to hurt you," Dean told him quietly. "Just...let me help you."

"How?" Castiel asked before he could stop himself. What happened to being somewhat afraid of Dean for being a freaking dragon? Suddenly he didn't really care that Dean wasn't human. All doubt faded from his mind, because Dean had saved him. Dean had held onto him, hadn't let go, and had let him feel the joy of being weightless for a few brief moments of wonder. Dean was his friend. He wasn't bad just because he was a dragon.

"Can you just...trust me on this? Just for right now?" Dean asked somewhat timidly, looking away as he averted his gaze toward the ground.

Castiel blinked at him, frowning. Had he really reacted so badly before that Dean honestly thought he didn't trust him? "I trust you," he murmured softly, nodding his head as though confirming the fact for himself.

Dean looked up, as though a little shocked, and then smiled warmly. He stepped closer to Castiel, slowly at first, but then he seemed to regain his confidence. His hand came up to rest gently against Castiel's cheek. In his shock, he didn't even bother to shift away as Dean's unique warmth began to consume him, warming his face and soothing the aches of his head.

Like magic, he felt his busted lip heal, no longer sore or swollen or anything. He could practically _feel_ his bruises disappearing, the tender flesh invigorated, refreshed, and no longer sore, just like his lip. He stared at Dean, into those fiery red eyes that had seemed to strange before, but now simply made a calming feeling come over him. Dean's wings hung limply from his back, yet also so sturdy in their fiery glow.

"W-What did you just do?" Castiel murmured as Dean pulled his hand away and that warmth left him. "What happened? How did you...?"

Dean shrugged slowly. "Like you said," he said, "I'm a dragon." He looked at the ground as though ashamed.

Castiel swallowed and stepped toward Dean as the dragon stepped back, flinching somewhat as though he half-expected Castiel to strike him. "Dean...I'm so sorry...for earlier. I shouldn't have reacted like that, I know that now. So what if you're...a dragon?" He shook his head. "You're my friend...and you saved my life...that's all that matters. You're not any different just...because you're a dragon."

Dean's fiery eyes raised to meet his. "Honest?"

"Honest," Castiel told him, smiling faintly. "So...what did you do to my face? How?"

Another shrug. "I'm a dragon. Dragons have - and are half created by - magic. It comes with the whole dragon thing, I guess, I don't know. I just know I can heal people, sometimes...it's why Sammy never gets sick." A brief, fond smile crossed Dean's face, probably in thought of Sammy, or Sam, who Castiel knew was Dean's little brother from their conversations at school. "Does it...bother you?" Dean asked timidly.

Castiel certainly wasn't used to Dean behaving as such, as at school, he was usually always so confident in himself and in others. Now he seemed uncertain and Castiel knew that was partially his fault for reacting as he had. "Not really," he finally replied, sighing. Then he frowned. "What happened? Earlier, I mean...in the car."

A hooded look came over Dean's face. "I don't know. But I know I don't _ever_ want it to happen again."

"So that wasn't...common?"

"No. Why would it be?"

"Well, Elizabeth...when I called her...acted like she knew what was happening, what was going on. She told me not to get too close to you...I was confused at first, but...then you kinda zapped me..."

Dean winced. "Yeah, sorry about that...I couldn't control it." His hands flexed at his sides. "I don't know what happened...but it seems to be gone now. I'm in control again. I hope that never freaking happens again."

Castiel nodded slowly. "Same here." He could remember the worry and fear he'd felt at Dean's strange, weak, pained behavior in the car. "Do you think Elizabeth knows?"

Dean shrugged. "I haven't seen her...I, um...left the car and flew around for a while...and I think I blacked out. Then when I woke up, I heard you shouting for help and went to investigate." He paused. "You're lucky I woke when I did, Cas. You should be more careful."

Castiel nodded. "Noted. You too. You don't need to be blacking out while flying."

Dean smirked faintly. "Very true." He shook his head. "You wanna tell me how you got those bruises and why you were out there in the first place?"

Castiel's first instinct was to say no, that nothing was wrong and he was fine, but Dean had obviously just healed him so he would certainly know that was a load of crap. The dragon had just saved his life, after all - so didn't he owe him some truth? "My dad..." he murmured finally, looking down at the ground. "He, um...got drunk. Hit me...I ran. Then I slipped and fell and...that's where you found me."

Dean paused. "Why don't you tell someone? The police? I'm sure they could help you."

Castiel shrugged. "It's not always bad. And why? What would the point me? What are they going to do? I'm almost eighteen. Then I'll be free to do as I want."

Dean paused. "I guess so." He shook his head. "But you still shouldn't have to go through that..." He sighed heavily. "How about this...if you really don't mind that I'm a dragon and you still want to be my friend...then why don't you come to my place when you think he's in a hitting mood or drunk? Sound okay?"

Castiel hesitated. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"...For real? You'd let me...do that? After how I..."

"Trust me, I'm sure a lot of people would have reacted way worse than you." Dean shook his head. "I was kind of expecting it...I mean, if someone ever found out, I knew they would...react badly." He shrugged. "But whatever. I don't care. I am what I am, right? Anyway, yeah, you can come to my place any time. I'll tell Elizabeth not to hassle you or anything."

Castiel nodded slowly. "...Thanks, Dean."

Dean grinned at him. "No problem, Cas. Do you want me to take you home, or my place, or...?"

Castiel swallowed, suddenly finding it hard to speak. "Can we just...stay here for a while?"

"If that's what you want," Dean said with a shrug. "It's Friday so I don't have a particular time to be home. My cell is still in my car, though...but I'm sure Elizabeth knows I'm flying or something, since you said she sort of knew what to do or say or whatever." He sighed heavily. "This dragon business isn't all that fun."

Castiel nodded. "I see. You really don't mind...staying here with me?"

"Why would I?" Dean seemed genuinely confused.

"I don't know...I just..." He shook his head, feeling a faint blush darken his cheeks as he turned away so Dean wouldn't see. "Never mind. Thanks, again."

"No problem." Dean sat at the water's edge, his wings disappearing into his back, the fiery glow in his eyes dispersing into that bright green he usually had. Castiel blinked at him in confusion.

"How do you do that?" he asked, sitting next to Dean. "Does it hurt?"

"What? Put my wings in?" At Castiel's nod, Dean shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't really thought about it, I guess. I just will them to go away and they do. It's natural to me, I guess."

Castiel nodded and then looked out over the water, enjoying the moment.

And even though he never would have thought he would ever be sitting this close to a fire dragon, he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.

* * *

So...good, bad? Love it, hate it? Like it? lol please let me know! I might change the ending or something, I'm not sure yet. Also, I apologize in advance for any typos. Thanks again and please review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	4. Chapter 4: Dragon Puberty

Sorry it's taken me so long to update this story! People kept insisting that I update Green Eyes, lol, and thus I did! Sadly, now, I don't know when or even if Green Eyes will ever be updated. My memory chip that held the info for the story and the story itself has decided to rest in peace RIP so yeah...The chip held Green Eyes and Reverberating Footsteps on it. Not this story, though - this story is saved on my mini-laptop. And Steady Now is saved on my main laptop. So those two might survive but the other two...and Bobby Plus Three...all the information for it was on there, and the story itself. So...yeah. Doubt they will ever be written on again because I'm not rewriting everything I had AGAIN.

Anywho ;) Sorry.

Now back to this story, yeah?

All mistakes are my own ;) And probably due to the document I write on on my new laptop that doesn't have spell check and leaves words with typos and without spaces, haha.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Four: Dragon Puberty

It wasn't that awkward having Dean as a dragon friend, really. Castiel would have thought that maybe things would have been different, that maybe it would be strange or awkward, but really, it seemed to bring the two of them closer together as the weeks slowly passed by. Whenever Castiel's father grew too violent, he snuck away to the mountainside, where Dean went every evening for his flight. He still didn't know what had caused that strange episode in the car, but it hadn't happened since, thankfully. Castiel really didn't want to see it happening again. It still sent shivers through his spine at the mere thought of it.

After school was the best, though. He and Dean spent a lot more time together now, since there didn't seem to be any secrets between them. Dean knew about Castiel's father and Castiel knew about Dean's dragon-side. Of course, Dean had told him he was only a half-dragon, but still. He'd stressed that point to Castiel. Something about blood, but Castiel couldn't quite remember correctly. Anyway, after school was awesome. He never would have thought he would have liked flying, would have ever even been able to do it since mankind had been forced to stay out of the skies after the war, but flying with Dean was awe inducing, breathtakingly so. A small part of Castiel whispered that he liked the feel of Dean's warm - so very warm - arms around him, but he always shook that crazy voice away. He just liked flying, that was it. And it was nice that he could do it with his friend. He'd never been this close to someone before, after all. It felt...nice. More than that, but he couldn't necessarily think of a decent way to describe it.

Currently, he and Dean were on the mountain, sitting on a small cliff that Dean had assured him was safe, and even though Castiel was still wary of the cliffs due to his recent, terrifying fall, he found that he trusted Dean like he had never trusted anyone else in his entire life. He felt safe with him, like nothing could go wrong, like nothing could possibly happen, and he found he liked that feeling. He'd never felt like that before, not with his family...anyone, really.

Except Dean. He wasn't sure what that said about them, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. He just figured it meant the two of them were good friends. Close friends. Best friends? He'd never had a best friend before, but it felt good to think that he had one. He felt a smile lighting up his face and then blushed faintly when he caught Dean looking at him.

"You should smile more often," Dean stated with a chuckle before he looked out into the sky. The sun was setting in the distance, and they had a perfectly clear view of it from here. All in all, it was perfect. Picture perfect, just like they alway showed in those pictures and movies. The sun was disappearing into the trees.

It was the weekend, finally, and Castiel mentally grinned at the thought. On weekends, he and Dean tended to stay out late and fly around while the air was still relatively warm. Besides, with the warmth of Dean's inner fire, Castiel rarely ever felt cold. It was when he was away from Dean that the true cold seeped in, but he wasn't going to think into that too much, mostly becaue the possibilities scared him a little.

"So..." Castiel started, not knowing what to say to end this silence. It wasn't a bad silence - it was comfortable and easy, but he just felt like maybe he should say something. He wasn't sure.

Dean glanced at him. "Yeah?"

Castiel blinked. "Your, um...eyes."

"Huh?" Confuion clouded Dean's face.

"They're fiery. Again."

"Oh." Dean blinked and suddenly his eyes were green again. "Sorry." He looked back out into the sky.

"Why do they do that?"

Dean shrugged and bit down on his lower lip.

"What is it?" Castiel asked, sensing that there was something he wanted to say.

"I just...I don't know, I guess I'm a little worried. Usually I can, um...keep my eye color green. Lately I've been...uh...leaking? I guess you could say? I can't control it as well as I used to. I think I freaked a few people out in gym yesterday."

"How so?" Castiel asked, fighting off the image of Dean in gym shorts.

Dean shrugged again, an easy roll of his shoulders. He saw Dean's back shift and saw the annoyed crease of Dean's brow. "It's hard to hold it in anymore. Like right now, I apparently really want to fly. Or, at least, my wings do. I don't know what's causing it or anything...but if it were to happen at school or in public..."

An uneasy silence surrounded them. Castiel knew that if others were to see what Dean was, they would run to call someone, maybe even attack him themselves. And he was going to ignore the fact that his stomach twisted uneasily at the mere thought of someone else knowing Dean's secret. He liked to feel special in that he was the one Dean trusted, outside of his family, to know that he was a dragon. Why he felt like that, he didn't know, but he couldn't really understand it. Either way, having others find out about Dean was definitely bad. And dangerous.

"Did you talk to Elizabeth about it?" Castiel asked, because Elizabeth seemed to know a lot about dragons for a mere human. Then again, according to Dean, she was one of the Trusted, whatever that meant.

Dean shrugged. "A little, but it's hard to talk to her, you know? I mean, I know she means well, but...I don't know. Maybe it's just some coming of age thing? You know, like dragon puberty or something?"

"That's...um...weird," Castiel told him.

"I know, right?" Dean shook his head. "But either way, it's hard to really talk to her about it. Besides, Sam's usually with her a lot and I don't want him to get worried or anything. I only really see her when I go home at night and eat, but by that time, I'm starving so talking is out of the question." He sighed heavily. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting?"

Castiel paused. "I don't know...but you should probably talk to her just in case." It worried him that Dean felt like he was losing control. It could mean big problems in the future, or it could mean something was wrong with Dean's health, which wasn't good either.

"Maybe."

A silence settled over them, comfortable like a warm blanket. A gentle breeze flowed toward them, scaling the side of the mountain. It was moments like this that Castiel really appreciated the mountain, even though he'd nearly slipped and fallen to his death on it not that long ago. Maybe it wa the sunset, the gentle breeze, the comfortable silence...or maybe it was just because Dean was there, his first real friend. He wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to dwell on it much, wanting to enjoy it while it lasted.

"Go for a flight?" Dean asked after a long moment, turning his bright green eyes on him. It was hard for Castiel to imagine that that brilliant green color was actually a mask hiding that fiery red, but it was true. In Dean's case, his true eyes were a glimpse at his soul, the fire within him. Shaking off the thoughts, Castiel nodded at Dean's suggestion andthe two stood.

Castiel stood along the edge, telling himself not to look down. It was strange, but without Dean's arms around him to hold him in the air, he was terrified of heights. That was the only time, though. It was weird but true. He watched as, next to him, Dean's wings appeared, slicing out of his back. It was kind of funny, though, because his shirts never seemed to tear. Two holes for his wings would appear but when the wings left, the shirt would be fixed, like magic. Dean's dragon magic, maybe? He wasn't sure. Dean's eyes flashed to that fiery red as he smiled at Castiel, his arms coming around him.

"Ready?" he asked, his breath warm against the back of Castiel's neck.

Swallowing, he nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

"Hold on." Dean edged the two of them forward and then jumped. Quickly, they fell through the air like a bullet and Castiel felt completely breathless as he turned into Dean, clinging to him, his heart racing with adrenaline. Dean pulled up seemingly at the last second, right before they crashed into the water, and upward they went, high into the sky. The moon was so big from here, the sun far off on the horizon, sinking further into the ground. Castiel felt almost as though he could reach out and touch the sky. Grinning, he glanced at Dean and his blue eyes locked onto fiery red as though they somehow belonged that way. They dove downward again and Dean twisted slightly in the air, causing Castiel to gasp as adrenaline spiked through him, causing him to chuckle as well as he tightened his grip on Dean, feeling the warm arms locked around him like his safety net.

He saw the glow of Dean's wings, incandescent suddenly, aglow with flickering flames that puffed out like the feathers themselves, but to Castiel, it didn't seem normal, even for Dean. Frowning, he murmured, "Dean? Your wings..."

And that was when Dean gasped and fell through the air, dropping through the sky quickly as he cried out in pain, his hold tightening on Castiel unconsciously.

"Dean!" Castiel cried as they plunged downward, the wind lapping around them like a giant wave ready to consume them. He grabbed onto Dean's shoulders tightly, his fingers digging into blazing warm skin as the wings continued to spark. "Dean, what's going on? Pull up! Dean!"

Dean's wings flapped, struggling to do as he was told, but he cried out in pain again and stopped, wrapping himself tighter around Castiel in his effort to stave off the pain. Castiel hated that he was hurting like this and he didn't know what was happening, but he knew that if they didn't pull up, they would both be killed in the fall. Well, he would...Dean was a dragon so he wasn't sure, but either way, it wouldn't be pretty.

"Dean!"

Dean's fiery eyes were clenched close, his mouth open in a snarl of pain, and Castiel could see suddenly sharp and elongated teeth, which made him gasp. What was going on? What was happening? Why?

"Pull up! Dean!" he shouted again, chancing a look down. They were quickly nearing it and it wouldn't be long now, merely a few seconds, and then they would slam into the grassy earth and be killed or at least drastically wounded. He shuddered at the thought. "DEAN!"

Dean's wings spread out at the last possible second, catching on air as they continued to fall. Dean's face contorted with agony but he kept his wings out all the same, wind lapping at the flames, fueling them and killing them seemingly at the same time. Their fall slowed but not quickly enough, and they slammed through branched and hit the ground rolling. Castiel tumbled and winced as he sat up, rubbing painfully at the back of his neck, a few scrapes covering his face and arms from the branches.

Dean was on the ground nearby, wrapping around himself desperately, his wings shivering over his body, draped over him like a fiery blanket. "Dean," he gasped, and quickly darted toward him.

"N-No," Dean hissed, his eyes snapping open. Castiel stopped because he had never seen them so red in his life. "D-Don't...stay back."

"What's wrong, Dean? What's happening?" Castiel asked with a heavy, worried frown.

"D-Don't know..." Dean breathed shakily, squeezing his eyes closed again. "Hurts..."

"Where's your phone?"

"Front right p-pocket..."

Castiel moved to retrieve said phone and call for help, but Dean released a cry of pain that stopped him in his tracks. "Dean?"

"D-Don't...come closer. Don't...w-wanna hurt you...Cas..."

Castiel swallowed and shook his head. "I'm getting you help," he said sternly, stubbornly, refusing to be dissuaded as he surged forward and dropped to his knees at Dean's side, trying to keep away from the flaming wings as he reached quickly for Dean's pocket, tugging the phone free just as one of his wings flapped involuntarily, nearly swiping him as he scooted back a few feet. Hurriedly, he dialed as fast as his fingers would let him.

"Hello?" Elizabeth answered after the fourth ring, finally.

"It's Dean," Castiel said immediately. "I don't know what's wrong, but he needs help."

"Where are you?"

"Near the lake. The trees...about...two hundred yards in?" he guessed, not necessarily sure.

"I'll try to find you," she promised. "How is he?"

"His, um...wings are on fire," Castiel told her, his brows furrowed uneasily with worry as he watched Dean shift in obvious pain, his arms wrapped around him and his wings practically shielding him from view, the fire beginning to crackle.

"What?" She sounded somewhat shocked.

"His wings," Castiel repeated. "They're on _fire_."

"Well...Try to put the flames out, if you can," she instructed quickly. "I'm on my way and I'll call back if I can't find you, so keep the phone close."

"Okay," Castiel said slowly as she hung up. He closed the phone and dropped it onto the ground as he shifted a little closer to Dean. "Dean? How are you doing?"

"Fine," Dean hissed. "Fucking p-peachy...f-feel my fuzz?"

"How bad does it hurt?" Castiel asked, knowing he was lying. A blind guy could see that he was in pain. "Dean?" Tentatively, he rested his hand on Dean's shoulder, his heart doing the rhythm of worry in his heart, a frantic drummer that didn't know the outcome of their song.

"H-Hurts...Fuck, Cas..." Dean's hands clawed at the ground. Without thinking and not wanting Dean to hurt himself by clawing into a twig or something, he put one of his hands down and grasped Dean's hand with his own, allowing the fingers to clench around his own somewhat tightly, but not necessarily uncomfortably. Dean frowned, blinking at him momentarily, and then sighed, closing his eyes again. Dean's hand was almost blisteringly warm in his hold.

_What are you doing?_ a part of him asked.

_Fuck off, he's hurting,_ another part of him answered.

He clenched his own hand around Dean's in response, letting his friend know he was there and that he wasn't going anywhere.

"S-Should run," Dean told him.

"I'm not that smart," Castiel replied, smirking faintly before said smirk quickly dispersed into nothing. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Run."

"Dean, be serious. I'm not leaving you. What can I do to help?"

"D-Dunno..." Dean breathed, swallowing thickly as he opened his eyes again. It looked like they were almost alive with fire, flickering themselves.

"Do you know what's happening?" Castiel questioned, just trying to get Dean to focus on something, anything, other than the obvious pain he was in.

"Dunno...j-just an unlucky dragon," Dean mumbled, taking in a sharp, precarious breath.

Castiel wasn't going to argue with that. Unconsciously, he tightened his hold on Dean's hand, swallowing thickly. "You have no idea why it's happening?"

"Fuck, Cas," Dean breathed. "No. You t-think I w-would have gone f-flying if I had known _that_ w-was gonna happen?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes. He hadn't meant to insinuate that Dean had knowlingly taken them on a flight when he'd known something was going to happen. He wasn't sure how Dean even got that from his question, but he felt guilty because of it all the same. "Just...try to relax, okay? Elizabeth's on her way. She'll know what to do."

She had to know, because Castiel himself was really starting to freak out and it was obvious Dean didn't know. He was probably too pained to even think about it. Even though he was a fire dragon, it didn't seem natural for his eyes to look like that or for his wings to be on fire. At least, Castiel didn't think so. And it was obviously hurting Dean, and that was never good. Castiel didn't like seeing his friend in pain.

"You s-should run."

"I'm not going anywhere." Dean was Castiel's friend and he wasn't just going to leave him here while he was in pain. That was crazy. He paused, looking at the flickering flames on Dean's red wings. "The fire looks like it's dying down - that's good, right?"

"Sure," Dean huffed. "Freakin' p-peachy."

"I'm just trying to help," Castiel told him.

"I know...sorry..." Dean said apologetically, his hand tightening around Castiel's, but he was pretty sure it was an unconscious gesture. "I'm...b-being an ass..."

"You're in pain," Castiel said. "You have a right to be. Elizabeth should be here soon and she'll know what to do."

"M-Maybe."

Hopefully.

Dean's fiery eyes slid closed and his facial mucles grew slack and relaxed.

"Dean?" Castiel murmured worriedly, smoothing his thumb over the knuckle of Dean's hand.

"Jus' g-gonna...sleep...for a m-moment..."

"What? No, Dean, stay awake," Castiel snapped, reaching out tentatively to shake him with his free hand.

But the fire dragon had already gone slack, his hand limp in Castiel's.

"Dean!"

* * *

Dean woke with a grown and a massive headache. On top of that, his stomach was growling and he felt as though he hadn't eaten in a week, which simply wasn't plausible. His appetite had been getting larger lately, and he wasn't quite sure what to think of that. Blinking his eyes open, he stared up at the familiar ceiling of his room, frowning. His mind was awash with confusion, a hazy fog that darkened his memories, and for a moment he had no idea what had happened. Then he slowly began to remember the fire on his wings and the pain...the way Castiel had held his hand...Dean blushed at the memory, wondering why Castiel had done that in the first place. And then he'd passed out, right? That was pretty much all he remembered. So how was he back in his room, on his bed, hungry?

Wincing as he rubbed at his head, he sat up slowly and looked around. His room was empty, as it always was. Sammy rarely came into his room because he usually just went to his brother's, and John and Elizabeth tended to give him his privacy, for which he was grateful. His walls were a deep blue color, which was oddly conflicting with the fiery red he was used to from his eyes and wings. He rubbed at his head again, trying to soothe the pain, and then got to his feet. He had some serious questions to ask Elizabeth.

Slowly, he left his room and maneuvered down the stairs, trying to block out the sounds of the ever-quiet night around him, because his head was still aching and the sound of crickets outside was rather annoying. Dragons had better hearing that normal humans, after all. Sighing, he sat the kitchen table and rubbed at his temples, flinching when he heard the sound of someone joining him in the kitchen. Blinking against the sudden light as someone turned it on, he looked to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway.

"We need to talk, Dean," she said slowly.

"You're telling me," he muttered. "What the hell happened to me? What's going on? Why is it happening?"

She shook her head. "You are coming of age."

"So...it really _is_ dragon puberty?" He blinked at her with wide eyes, because he'd mostly been kind of joking when he'd suggested that to Castiel. He felt his cheeks grow warm because, really, if it really was about puberty, he certainly did not want to talk about it. Not only did he have to go through human puberty, but now _this_? It was insane!

"Something like that," she said with a shrug as she joined him at the table. She reached out a hand and grabbed hold of his own. It was comforting kind of like a mother's touch was, but it wasn't warm and distinctive like Castiel's, Dean noticed, trying not to blush again as he looked away.

"Great," he mumbled. "So I have to go through puberty _twice_?"

Once was bad enough! Now this?

"Not exactly," Elizabeth said, shaking her head slowly as she bit down on her lip in hesitation. "It's complicated, Dean. More like, the fire within you is flaring. It's energized and ready...heated. And unless you can tire it out, it's going to keep happening like this, and soon you aren't going to be able to control when you change or how much. People will find out. And they _will_ come after you. Not everyone is like Castiel - most people hate dragons."

Dean swallowed. "I know...so how do I tire it out? Do more exercise? Run and fly more? What?"

"That might help," she told him, "but it's more like an inner energy that you have, and I don't really know how you can exhaust it. Tiring yourself out physically might help but I don't really know, Dean. I'm sorry." A dark canvas covered her face and suddenly Dean had the impression she wasn't telling him everything.

"What?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Huh?" She looked at him.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing, Dean, I'm just thinking." She smiled softly and then released his hand, standing. She moved toward the refrigerator. "I bet you're starved - how about something to eat?"

"That sounds great," Dean said, sighing. He still felt as though she were hiding something, but it wasn't like her to keep things from him, especially if it could help him. So he was going to trust her for now, he decided. "I'm starving."

To prove his point, his stomach gave into a loud, rumbling growl.

She chuckled. "I'll say. How about a nice cheeseburger? Or three?"

"Four," Dean said, nodding. "Please."

"Sure."

"Thanks."

She smiled at him and got to work on making his sandwiches. "You know," she said, "you had Castiel pretty worried when you just passed out like that."

"Oh." He frowned. "Sorry." He didn't know what to say, but he figured he'd go to Castiel's or something tomorrow to talk to him.

"He helped me get you back here," she said.

That was embarrassing. Dean dropped his head onto the table with a groan. "Great. Just great."

The last thing he needed was Castiel having to _carry_ him. Another blush attacked his face and he fought it off viciously.

Elizabeth hesitated in her cooking. "Someone is coming over tomorrow, Dean, and I want you to try and get along with them, okay?"

"Why?" It wasn't often people came here - sometimes Sam's friends, but usually only when Dean was gone so he didn't accidentally slip after having been in his human disguise all day at school.

"They are a dragon too," she said, smiling. "I'm hoping they will be able to help tire you out, and maybe you two can talk about stuff, I don't know. I just think it'll be good for you to talk to another dragon."

Dean frowned. He'd never talked to another dragon before, at least none that he could really talk to. He'd met one named Eon once but that had been years ago, when he'd first started to change into his dragon side. Eon had helped answer a few of his never-ending questions but then had vanished, leaving him to learn how to fly on his own. Or, rather, he'd pushed him off the cliff and had told him to flap for dear life. It wasn't pleasant.

"Why are they coming?" Dean asked slowly.

"Eon thought it would be a good idea." Elizabeth seemed to be evading something but Eon' name caught Dean's attention.

"Why? What does he care?"

"He just knew this would be happening soon and he's had his eye on this dragon for a while now. He thinks the two of you will get along, and if not, he's got another one in mind."

"What the hell? Doesn't he think I can make my own friends?"

"He's just trying to help you, Dean," Elizabeth told him. "Who knows? You might like them."

Dean grimaced.

He wasn't so sure about that.

* * *

Hmm so who is the dragon that's coming in? hehe ;) Anyway, please continue to leave your wonderful, fantastic reviews that make me want to keep writing! Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	5. Chapter 5: New Dragon

O.O I know this chapter is loooooong overdue and I'm sooooo sorry! Sheesh this story just got so far away from me and it was so hard to get back. It was hard to even get back in the mood. I just simply could not and would not write about dragons. Wings and flying and fire...my mind was like "uh, how about no, and let's go do this instead..." and thus I did other things. And more things still...and somehow five months have passed O.O holy crap! How did that happen? I'm so sorry! I don't know how that happened, I really don't. I even planned out this story. (not all of it but, you know, the main-ish points). My papaw died, I've been sick and I've been having terrible headaches (which the doc says are chronic daily headaches but they're gonna run tests tomorrow to know for sure), and I had school to worry about...but it's summer now...so...heh. Sorry.

This chapter is long overdue. But it's finally here and I hope it sounds okay. It's not as long as the others and it doesn't have Cas in it, but I hope it sounds okay all the same. I will try to write the next chapter soon. If I don't, you can start message spamming me until I do. I give you my full permission to do so. Whatever will make me write. Sometimes I just need a little push, hehe. I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, but I can promise (or I can try anyway) that it won't take five months. Sheesh.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! That is truly what made me want to continue and what has kept this story alive thus far! Thank you so much, and thanks to those of you who favorited this story and put it on story alerts. You guys are epically awesome!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Five: New Dragon

Dean sat nervously in the living room. He was dressed in nice-looking clothes, though still casual. His blue jeans weren't ripped and his red shirt fit him nicely, not too baggy or anything like that, no unneeded creases or folds anywhere. His hair was nicely combed and not styled in its usual wild spikiness - even though he'd argued about _why_ he had to look good for some dragon that was coming by, but Elizabeth had just chuckled and told him to wait and see - and he was feeling rather antsy. His wings kept shifting in his back like tendrils of bone and fire under his skin begging to be freed. His fingers dug into the couch cushions on either side of him.

He had been sitting in the living room for nearly twenty minutes now, waiting for this dragon to arrive. They were apparently taking their sweet time. He had other things he could have been doing at the moment - like going to hang out with Castiel, his actual _friend _- but no, he was forced to stay here to meet some random dragon who was just a stranger to him. Elizabeth was sitting in a chair next to the couch, smirking to herself. She hadn't yet told him anything about this dragon - their name, gender, type of dragon…nothing. It was like being sent into a lion's den unprepared, except the person was coming to him and not the other way around. He had no idea what to expect and he hated that.

"So…you're not going to tell me anything? Really? Not even how old they are? What if it's like…some old man or something?" Dean asked, shifting uneasily as he sat on the couch. Sam and John had gone out for the day, and Dean had been left alone to be hassled about his appearance for most of the morning. "You're not going to make me hang out with some old guy, are you? 'cause that would be _way_ awkward, I'm just saying."

"Relax, Dean," Elizabeth said, chuckling. "I'm sure whoever they're sending is a nice person, and just your age."

"Wait - you don't even know them? What? Then why are they coming here? How do they know where we live? My God, they're a stalker, aren't they?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Calm down," she said easily, smiling at him in that warm, motherly way of hers. "Relax. They're not a stalker. They know where we live because Eon told them. And I think they're a full dragon, so you'll both have much to talk about."

Dean sighed. "Great, 'cause when I think of my greatest hits in conversations, I think of dragon talk," he grumbled, crossing his arms as he folded them across his chest and leaned back into the couch cushions.

Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just relax and be yourself. I'm sure whoever they're sending is just what you need."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? Why are they sending someone? Just 'cause I'm all energized or something?" Dean asked, sitting up a little more, frowning at her as he un-crossed his arms. None of this was really making sense. So he was a little energized - big deal. He could fly it off, or run it off, or whatever. He would find a way to tire himself out, as Elizabeth had said. That didn't explain why Eon would pick _now_ to send a dragon to him. Why wait until now, after all these years? Why now, when he was seventeen? Well, it was April now, so he would be eighteen in four months, give or take a few days. Still, though, why now? Why send someone to him, of all people? It didn't quite make sense and it wasn't really sitting right with him.

He had wanted to go talk to Castiel today, but Elizabeth had said he needed to be here when this dragon showed up, whenever that would be. He wanted to talk to his friend and clear things up from yesterday, see how he was handling things, and if he was all right. Ever since he'd learned about Castiel's father, he had been a little wary of going long without speaking to him, either via phone or in person. Hey, that was an idea - he could call him!

"I'm going to call Cas-" Dean said as he stood to do just that, but then he was cut off by someone knocking on the door. He sighed and sat back down when Elizabeth gave him a look, before she moved toward the door and opened it.

Dean wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, or who he'd been expecting to see, but he had to admit that he was surprised to see a beautiful young woman standing there. She appeared to be his age, or at least around it, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and fiery red eyes. Another fire dragon, then, but a full one - which meant she probably had a hard time blending in. Dean found himself staring at her, though, as she smiled and entered the house after Elizabeth said something to her - what it was, though, he wasn't sure.

"You must be Dean," the girl said as she approached him, smiling brightly, her gaze warm and her eyes filled with fire. "I'm Mariah." She held her hand out for him to shake, and he quickly got to his feet and took her hand, shaking it, surprised by the warmth. She was even warmer than he himself was. He was used to everyone else practically feeling cold due to the fact that he was so warm. Her hand felt like fire and he was actually surprised to see sparks of flame wrap around their hands as they clasped together. Well, that was definitely new.

"I…Hi," Dean said faintly, smiling. It wasn't often he felt as though he were at a loss for words, but now was one of those times. He didn't quite know what to say other than the obvious. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she said smoothly, and then glanced over at Elizabeth with trained eyes. "It's nice to meet both of you." She spoke with grace and poise yet she didn't sound stiff like Dean thought she should have for someone who sounded so polite when speaking to Elizabeth.

"I'm sure you two have much to talk about," Elizabeth said with a cheeky grin. What was she planning? Dean narrowed his eyes at her. "Why don't you go for a flight?"

"That sounds lovely," Mariah said, nodding her head before she looked again at Dean, the kindle in her fiery eyes brightening when her gaze landed on his face. "What do you say?"

Flying? Dean liked flying. Flying with Mariah sounded interesting.

"I say why are we still standing here? Let's get to flying!" Dean said with a laugh, pumping his fist in the air enthusiastically. Without thinking, her grabbed her hand and darted out of the house, listening to her laugh as she followed after him quickly, without any trouble keeping pace.

She had a nice laugh.

They approached the edge of the water in no time, running in dragon speed. She was pretty damn fast, Dean had to admit, faster than him. Then again, she was a full-blooded dragon and he was only half.

Their wings appeared almost in the same instant, both fiery and bright. Hers were a little larger than Dean's and also a darker, deeper red, but that was just because she was a full dragon while he was a half-dragon. With a single flap, they entered the air and flew above the trees. It was nice to be able to actually fly with someone - and this was the first time he'd ever done so. He had done it once with Eon, but that was more of a lecture flight than anything else, and this was…

Intriguing. Fun.

Yeah, it was fun.

He'd never been able to do this with anyone before. He'd played tag with Sam before but he'd always been naturally faster and thus it had never really been a challenge. Here, he was free to go as fast and as high as he wanted. Mariah was following him and passing him, laughing with him. It was like he…wasn't alone. He hadn't necessarily felt alone before - except occasionally when his dragon nature really took hold and he felt like some kind of freak despite the fact that Elizabeth and Sam told him otherwise, including John when he was home - but now he felt like he actually belonged. He belonged here in the sky with Mariah. She belonged in the sky too.

They zoomed through the sky like bullets from a gun, speeding up and twisting, flying higher and higher only to drop toward the ground, catching themselves on air seemingly at the last moment. They passed each other in the air, nearly avoiding colliding with each other as they zoomed by, faster and faster, higher and higher, lower and lower…

It was like a dream, almost. Dean never would have thought he would have been able to fly like this with someone, especially another dragon. Except…it was like there was something missing, but he wasn't sure what. What was missing? There was a pretty girl flying with him, and she'd come here just to see _him_ - so why did it feel wrong, and yet right at the same time? It didn't quite make sense, and it made the flight a little un-enjoyable. But to hell with it - he was going to ignore it for the time being and enjoy himself, because what was there not to enjoy about flying with Mariah?

"Where do you want to land?" Mariah called to him a few moments later, and he shrugged and pointed at the side of the cliff, the ledge where he and Castiel usually sat. Mariah nodded and the two of them moved toward the ledge, landing on it. They stood looking out toward the sun, which was high in the sky. Far below, the wind rippled through the water, creating small waves that lapped at the shoreline and sides of the cliff. "This is a beautiful spot. Do you come here often?"

Dean nodded, smiling faintly to himself. "Yeah. My friend, Cas, and I come here most evenings."

"Oh, I see - and does this Cas know you are…a…"

"Yeah. He knows," Dean told her with a small shrug as though it were no big deal when in reality, the fact that Castiel knew and accepted it actually meant a great deal to him.

"That is unwise and not safe," she chided, gently nudging his shoulder with her own. He nudged back, chuckling.

"It's fine," he assured her. "Cas is cool with it."

Well…not entirely 'cool', but he was alright with it. Which was completely awesome. It was nice to have a friend he could be himself around, a friend that knew what he was and didn't care. Of course, Mariah could also be like that. She was a dragon herself. This has great possibilities.

"So…I think Elizabeth wanted us to talk," Dean said uneasily, shifting as he sat down on the edge. Mariah sat next to him, so close he could feel her heat. It was…nice. Unusual, but nice. Then again, he always did think heat felt nice. Or, at least, he usually did.

"Alright - what's on your mind, Dean?" Mariah asked calmly, smiling at him, her eyes red and bright, sparking flames.

"I just…well…why did Eon send you here?"

Mariah just smiled. "I'm sure you'll learn on your own time - it's not exactly my place to tell you. I guess he's just wanting you to have a dragon friend, maybe? Or…" She scooted closer, grabbing his arm. "Maybe he thought you could use someone a little…closer." She spoke those words into his ear, the heat sending shivers down Dean's spine as he turned his head to face her, gently pulling his arm free of her hold.

"Why don't we get to know each other first…? If you want?" he said nervously. He wasn't sure why he was feeling like this. Normally, if a girl this amazing flung herself at him, he was all for it. But something just…didn't really feel right, and he wasn't quite sure what it was. It was driving him crazy. Maybe if he just got to know her a little better, things would be different.

"Alright," Mariah agreed. "What do you want to know?"

"Uh…I don't know…what's it like being a full dragon?"

"It's hot."

Dean snickered. "Yeah, I kinda figured."

"I can't blend in like you. I'm actually surprised I managed to make this form last this long," Mariah said with a sigh. "So I have no…human friends. I know only dragons, and not that many to be honest. I'm seventeen - just turned seventeen two months ago. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"It was somewhat along the lines of what I wanted, yeah," Dean said with a grin. "Alright, my turn, then? I'm seventeen - I'll be eighteen soon enough, then I guess I'll be setting out on my own. Um…I guess I can blend in as a half-dragon." He shrugged to himself. "Uh…I don't really know any dragons…except now you, and I talked to Eon once but that was about it…"

"I see." Mariah nodded with a smile. "How are Elizabeth and the Trusted?"

"They're pretty cool," Dean told her. "Sammy - I guess you could say he's my little brother - loves to watch these girly-ass movies, but it's nice to spend time with him. John works a lot but he's cool when he's around. And El…she's awesome. Fixes me all the food I want and she's always there."

"Sounds great," Mariah said. "I never had a family."

"I'm sorry." He didn't know what to say to that. He blinked at her sympathetically.

She shrugged. "It's okay. You didn't know." She trailed her fingers lightly across his arm, little tendrils of flame that heated his already warm blood. He smiled somewhat nervously at her even though he wasn't sure why. He shouldn't have been nervous. Normally he was all over this kind of stuff. So why was he acting like this now?

He stood awkwardly, brushing her off without trying to making it obvious. She smiled and stood as well as though glued to his side. Okay, that was a bit awkward and unusual. Usually he liked it when girls acted like that around him, but today, here, right now…it just didn't feel right. Maybe it was just him. Maybe it was that stupid dragon puberty or something. He didn't know.

"Uh…maybe we should head back? I'm kind of hungry," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

Mariah nodded and jumped off the edge of the cliff without a second glance. Dean released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and then shook his head. _Why is she here, anyway? Why now? I don't understand,_ he thought to himself as he scrubbed a hand over his face. Mariah spun in the air and hovered near the cliff. "Are you coming?" she asked joyously.

She did look beautiful with the sun beating down on her wonderful red wings like that. Dean smiled. "Uh, yeah. I'm coming," he said, wondering what was wrong with him. He shook it off for the time being and flapped his wings, launching into the air to join her.

Mariah was nice, hot - in that she was a fire dragon and because she was definitely pretty - and totally his type. So why was he feeling so hesitant? Normally he'd be all over it. Maybe he'd have to talk to Elizabeth about it. Maybe his dragon hormones were screwing him up or something. Maybe there was something he could do to fix it before Mariah started to think he didn't like her.

Because he did.

Right?

* * *

Lunch was delicious, as it always was. Elizabeth was an amazing cook. She made large helpings of everything and filled the table with food, for which Dean was grateful. He felt as though he could eat a horse at the moment. He felt as though he'd managed to burn a bit of that energy Elizabeth had been nagging at him about. Hmm, so maybe flying had helped after all. See? Nothing to be worried about. A little flying and exercise was all that was needed. People and dragons - _Eon!_ - needed to get off his back. He was fine. It was just a bit of extra energy that he needed to burn off, and judging by his hunger at the moment, he'd done just that.

He and Mariah cleared the table of the food in no time. It was kind of funny, seeing a girl of Mariah's petite size gulp down that amount of food in that short amount of time. She even belched at the end and smoke emanated from her ears and mouth and nose. Fire burned brightly in her eyes as though it were renewed and re-energized. Dean could hear her bones shifting beneath her skin, signaling that it was getting very hard for her to keep her wings hidden. He nodded his head toward the door and she quickly ducked outside, where he heard the sound of her unfurling her wings. The whoosh of the flames was audible to his dragon ears.

Dean wasn't supposed to have his wings out in the house, lest he set fire to the place like he had when he'd been little. It had been an accident but he'd nearly burned down the place and thus his wings had been banned from the house. Mariah was probably no different - maybe Elizabeth had given her the lecture on fiery wings against flammable furniture while Dean had been in the bathroom, he wasn't sure.

Elizabeth entered the kitchen and smiled when she saw the empty table. "Done already? That was fast."

"I'm so full," Dean said contentedly as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes at half mast due to his comfort. He folded his arms across his stomach and kicked his chair back so it was standing only on the back two legs. "I think I burned some of that energy flying today."

Elizabeth looked pleased. "Really?" she asked as she started putting the dirty dishes in the sink. Feeling guilty for the mess, Dean stood and started helping her. Elizabeth smiled at him.

"Yeah. I don't know what you were so worried about - I told you all I had to do was fly or something."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I think Mariah might have helped some, maybe?"

Dean frowned and then shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. I guess. It was kind of fun. I've never really flown with anyone before," he admitted as they finished putting the dishes in the sink. Elizabeth ran warm water and started pouring dish soap into the sink. Dean went back to his seat as she shooed him away. "It was different."

"Do you like her?" Elizabeth asked seemingly nonchalantly.

Dean blinked at her and the sudden question. "I…what…why?" he asked.

She shrugged easily. "No reason. I just thought you two looked cute together, is all. And you said you had fun. She seems to like you."

He scrubbed his fingers through his short hair and sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. I mean, she's cute and all…but I don't know." It was kind of awkward talking to Elizabeth about this. She was like his mom almost. Sure, he felt like he could talk about anything with her - he felt comfortable with her and trusted her - but this was kind of personal.

"Well, maybe that will come in time," she said with a sigh as she started scrubbing the dishes. "She'll be leaving here in about two hours. Why don't you go for another flight if you want? Or take her upstairs and watch some of Sammy's movies?"

Dean blinked. He hadn't thought of that. "Sure, that sounds okay." He nodded to himself and turned to go and ask Mariah if maybe she wanted to fly or watch a movie. "Thanks."

"But I warn you - if I find even a hint of scorched furniture, your ass is mine," Elizabeth said to his retreating back as he went out the door, and he chuckled to himself.

Same old Elizabeth.

* * *

Sorry there's no Cas. He just didn't fit in here. I was going to have him show up but I figured, nah. Maybe later. He will be in next chapter, though, don't worry ;) Thanks so much for reading! Sorry if it's not that great, I'm sick, lol. I keep coughing. Maybe I hit the keys wrong O.o Anyway, thanks again, and please review! You guys are awesome!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	6. Chapter 6: Awkward

I know, I know! IT HAS BEEN 4 MONTHS! I know I said I wouldn't take this long, but...somehow time just got away from me and before I knew it, this long had passed! I am so sorry! I have a ton of exuses I could give you but the main one is just that I lost track of time and wanted to finish a few of my original stories really badly, so I was working on them and somehow 4 months passed. I'm so SORRY! I really do apologize. I know this story isn't that reliable as far as updates are concerned. I haven't been on FF very much lately as I've mostly been dealing with original stories. Anyway, I will try, repeat TRY, to update sooner! I really will! If I don't, feel free to message spam me!

Anyway, as promised, Castiel is in this chapter. Not too much happens here but I plan to have a bit of action next chapter, promise. I would have made this longer but it had a good cutting off point and I really wanted to go ahead and post since it's been so long. I've been working on this chapter for a while now :( So yeah. Anywho, sorry again! If you have ideas for this story, feel free to let me know :D Ever since my computer died (my old one) I lost my old ideas for it and thus am trying to make up new ones, lol.

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Six: Awkward

Dean wasn't entirely sure what to think about Mariah. It had been a day since she'd left and he didn't quite find himself missing her, exactly, but he had to admit that it had actually been nice having someone to fly with. He could actually be himself around her and not worry about being judged or holding back. Cas was his friend but he knew to still be wary and cautious around him. Though Castiel said it didn't bother him that Dean was a dragon, there were still times when he caught the look in his friend's eyes, the way Cas looked at him that he knew that, on some level, it _did_ bother him, if only a little.

But it didn't bother Mariah. She was a dragon too. He didn't have to worry about how he acted around her, which was nice. It was freeing. Plus, having someone to fly with was a nice change, he had to admit. He could carry Castiel and fly with him, sure, but it wasn't the same as flying next to someone and racing them through the sky, the wind in his wings, fire in his eyes, excitement in his heart…

Despite all this, though, he still didn't quite find himself missing Mariah. Maybe he missed some of what she had to offer - the companionship, the racing through the sky, the being himself without worry - but he didn't necessarily miss _her_ as a dragon.

No, instead, he found himself quite eager to hang with Castiel today. All day yesterday he had been with Mariah as per Elizabeth's wishes. Mariah hadn't left until late in the evening and Dean had been exhausted afterward after having flown so much that day, way more than usual, and having shown his dragon side more than he was used to. As a half-dragon, he did actually have to expend energy to show his dragon form for a while. Well, at least a certain amount of his dragon form, just like he had to expend some of his energy to show a certain amount of his human form. His normal, resting form would be to have his wings showing, and his eyes ablaze with fire, but he couldn't just walk around like that all the time, now could he?

No, that wouldn't be very 'blending in', now would it?

He felt bad for not spending time with Castiel yesterday. Ever since the two had shared secrets - his being that he was a dragon and Castiel's being that he was somewhat abused at home - they seemed to see each other every day, if only for a little while. Except yesterday, Dean had spent the entire day with Mariah. Elizabeth had told him to, and it had been rather enjoyable. It also would have been rude to simply leave or ignore Mariah to spend time with his friend, but Dean still felt guilty about it.

He wasn't sure why, exactly. It wasn't like the two had actually said they were going to meet every day. There were a few times when they didn't. Sometimes Cas didn't show up - he had stuff to do outside of meeting Dean. Sometimes Dean had obligations that required him to skip his daily meeting with Castiel. But he still felt guilty for skipping out on yesterday, and so he planned on making it up to his black-haired friend today.

He decided to start by making a picnic basket for the two of them. Simple enough, right? Except he couldn't find the damn thing. Where would Elizabeth keep it? After he'd scoured the kitchen for a good ten minutes, Elizabeth entered the room and frowned at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he closed a cabinet door.

"Searching for an elusive picnic basket," he grumbled. "Is it invisible? It is, isn't it? You don't want me to find it. You cursed it." It was the only option.

She smirked at him. "Now why would I do something like that?" She moved toward a cabinet.

"I've already looked there," he said matter-of-factly, folding his arms across his chest.

She instantly pulled the picnic basket out of the cabinet. Dean stared at her. "Maybe you just need a woman's touch," she said, grinning.

"I think you're just a witch and you cursed it," he declared, "so that I couldn't find it."

She shook her head and held the basket out to him. "What do you need this for?" she inquired.

Dean snatched it and moved toward the refrigerator, quickly throwing in bottles of water and lunch meat. "So Cas and I can have some food."

"Oh?"

"I, uh…" He cleared his throat. He wasn't sure why he was bothering to tell her this, but he felt the need to justify his actions all the same. After all, it wasn't every day he sought out picnic baskets for guilty get-togethers. "I feel bad for skipping out on him yesterday. Figured I'd make it up to him today." He shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Oh, okay. Sounds nice," she commented. "Need any help? Does he know you're coming?"

"We usually agree to meet every day on the cliff," he said. "And sure, you can help me pack. You know how hopeless I am."

She smirked. "You're only good with food when it comes to eating it."

"Amen to that. It's better that way."

"Typical man," she snorted as she took to packing the basket. Dean was glad for the help.

* * *

Castiel ventured to the cliff like he had yesterday. He had gone at their usual meeting time yesterday, except Dean had never shown up. He had thought about going to Dean's house and seeing if he was all right, but he didn't want to seem like some friend that was overly worried. It was just one day where they didn't hang out - so what? It wasn't like he was clingy or something. It wasn't like they had to hang out every day. Right? It didn't matter. Still, though, Castiel had to admit to himself that he was more than a little relieved to see Dean's winged silhouette at the cliff's edge as the walked up the incline toward it.

"Hey," he said, a smile easing its way onto his face. A cool, gentle breeze slid up the side of the cliff and brushed over their faces, wiping their bangs back. He glanced at his friend. Dean looked fine. He could put his worries to ease, then. He had wondered why Dean hadn't been here yesterday, he had to admit. He had thought that maybe something had gone wrong again - that perhaps Dean had suffered another 'episode', as he'd taken to calling it.

"Hey," Dean said back, smiling at him. The warmth in Castiel's heart swelled in the touch of friendship. Castiel was sure he'd never truly had a real friend before - at least not one that knew about his life at home, about his father, and didn't treat him differently because of it.

"Where were you yesterday?" Castiel couldn't help but ask. He wanted to know. As a friend, he felt he had a right to know and ask.

Dean shrugged slowly and sat down at the cliff's edge. Castiel eased down next to him and the two looked out over the water far below. The sun was starting to set in the distance. The dispersing multitude of colors was an amazing sight to see, Castiel had to admit. He could see the appeal to the place and why Dean had picked it in the first place.

Briefly, he wondered what it was like, flying through the sky at sunset, and even sunrise, all those colors casting through the sky like that. What a sight to see, really. Dean was lucky, able to see that and experience it so close while Castiel was stuck on the ground, just barely glimpsing it through the barrage of trees and limbs that seemed to surround this town. He almost sighed in longing.

Dean waited a long moment before he took in a small breath to answer. Castiel decided to wait patiently and not interrupt or push him. "Yeah, I had something I had to do, apparently. Elizabeth made me."

"Oh," Castiel said. Well that explained it. Elizabeth was Dean's mother. Well, Dean explained to him that she wasn't really his mother, and obviously she wasn't because she wasn't a dragon - no one in Dean's 'family' were dragons, but they were still his family. If Elizabeth told Dean to do something, he usually listened. "So it wasn't another episode."

He wasn't sure why he let it slip that he thought it had been another episode. Maybe it was so that Dean would tell him next time so he wouldn't worry. He had been tempted to actually march through the woods to Dean's house and find out if his friend was okay, privacy be damned, but had decided against it in the long run as Dean had wanted to keep him away from him during the last 'episode'. So he had decided, ultimately, to respect his wishes. Dean would have told him when he was ready, right?

Still, though, it would have been nice to know.

Dean looked at him strangely. "Episode?" he echoed faintly, and then a look of knowing crossed over his face. "Oh! An episode. No." He shook his head. "No, I didn't have an episode." He smiled faintly, the corner of his lips twitching upward somewhat. "You thought I had one?"

Castiel scowled at him. "Well what was I supposed to think?" he muttered. "You didn't show up and you had one not too long ago."

Dean sighed and nodded, frowning somewhat, the half-smirk disappearing from his face. "You're right," he said as it dawned on him. "I'm sorry, Cas. I should have told you. I will next time. I didn't realize how it would look - friends don't make friends worry, right?" Then he grinned again, glancing at him quickly. "Aw, you were worried about me, weren't you?" He nudged Castiel with his elbow. "Weren't ya?"

"Shut up. I was not. It's just common courtesy," Castiel replied, scowling again. Of course he wasn't worried - even though he had been, really. Friends worried, right? He wasn't going to admit it, though.

Dean snickered. "Common courtesy my ass, you were worried. Admit it."

"I was not."

"Dude, you so were."

"I was not."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"Were."

"Wasn't."

"Were."

"This is stupid."

"I think it's fun."

"You're crazy."

"Am not."

Castiel shook his head. This was getting them nowhere.

Dean chuckled faintly and then sobered up. Castiel frowned at the sudden mood change. "Dean?" he asked, frowning.

"I would have told you, but Elizabeth surprised me with it first thing in the morning and made me get ready. I was going to call but then she showed up," Dean explained, sounding sincere. "And she stayed until evening."

Castiel's frown deepened in confusion. What was Dean talking about? "She?" he asked, picking up on the word. "Who? What are you talking about, Dean?"

Dean shrugged, rolling one shoulder slightly. "Mariah," he said matter-of-factly, as though it were simple. "She's who Elizabeth planned for me to meet. Apparently Eon sent her."

"Eon?" It was another name Castiel didn't know. "Who's that?"

"Uh…you might call him the head dragon," Dean said simply.

"Okay…and why'd he send her?"

"I don't really know. They never really said."

"Okay…but why was she there? I don't understand. What'd you two do?"

"Mostly we flew around."

"Flew around?" Castiel frowned. "Wait, does that mean…?" His eyes widened.

"Yeah," Dean said with a chuckle, "she's a dragon too. Full-blooded fire dragon. Pretty fast, too. Not bad-looking, either. Pretty hot, no pun intended."

"Oh." That was all that seemed to come out of Castiel's mouth, all he could think to say. What else could he say? His mouth seemed thick. His mind didn't seem to want to think. "Um…" That wasn't much better. "So you two just flew?" There, a complete sentence. Err, a question. At least it was a complete thought.

"Pretty much," Dean admitted. "We also went and watched some of Sammy's movies. No, we didn't burn the furniture." For some reason, this made Dean chuckle. Castiel wondered why. Was this some sort of hidden joke? Why? Was it between him and Mariah? He frowned at his friend. Did he and Dean have hidden jokes?

Why did he even care? It wasn't like they needed any.

"Oh," Castiel said again.

_Yeah, sounding real smart, Cas,_ he thought to himself, sighing.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Dean said, a bright smile spreading across his face suddenly. He reached over and pulled a picnic basket out from behind a large boulder rock. He flipped open the lid and pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in plastic, grinning. "Let's eat, man."

"Food?" Castiel blinked at it like it was an alien substance.

"Yeah, man - you know, the stuff you put in your mouth, chew a few times, and swallow." Dean frowned at him. "What's up with you? You feeling okay?" Dean turned enough to face him completely, eyes scanning over him like a hawk. "Did your dad…did he hit you again?" he asked quietly, expression solemn. One hand slowly reached out and tentatively prodded at Castiel's face.

Castiel stiffened under the heated touch of Dean's fingers. It always shocked him how hot the feel of Dean's skin could be even though Dean always reminded him that he was only a half-dragon. "No," he said with a scowl. He hated talking about it anyway and he hated it when Dean brought it up. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you're acting kind of off. Don't you like food anymore?"

"Of course I do."

"Well - then get excited!" Dean smirked.

Castiel sighed and then smiled, reaching for a sandwich. "Let's eat," he said, unwrapping his. "Did you pack this, or Elizabeth."

Dean snorted. "Elizabeth, of course. If I did, there'd be no food in here. It'd all be in my stomach already."

Somehow, that didn't surprise Castiel one bit.

* * *

Dean enjoyed flying - of course he did. As far as he knew, all dragons did. He had thoroughly enjoyed his flight with Mariah yesterday, racing through the air with her, flying side-by-side…it was something he never did and therefore it was new. Intriguing, even. They had gone higher and lower and every which way without thought, seemingly moving as one, something Dean had never experienced before.

But somehow, even that experience paled in comparison to this - flying in the air with Castiel. Well, mainly just him flying as he held onto Castiel who in turn clung to his neck like always - Cas was always so afraid of falling, but then, Dean decided his reasons were justified as Dean had fallen out of the sky before when he was flying with Cas. Somehow, this was better than flying with Mariah and Dean wasn't sure why. It didn't make any sense. He would have thought that racing through the sky, one of his favorite things to do, with a hot girl would been the best thing in the world, but apparently not as he liked this more.

He blamed it on the fact that Castiel was his friend. Mariah was a dragon and therefore, of course she accepted. Cas, however, was completely human and didn't have to accept him. He could have turned on him at any given moment but he hadn't, and thus that made this friendship special. Because unlike all of Dean's other friends, Castiel actually knew what he was and all about him. They knew secrets about each other, and Dean never would have thought something so trivial would have mattered so much, but it did.

"Where do you want to land?" Dean asked as he soared down low, talking a bit loud so his voice could be heard over the wind of the evening air.

"Anywhere's fine," Castiel replied. "How about by the lake?"

They landed by the lake a lot. They flew around and then came back by the cliffs to land at the bottom, at the edge of the lake. It was a quiet, peaceful spot and Dean had to admit that he liked it. It was a spot he used to go to so he could think, but now it was a friend hangout, or so it seemed. He wasn't used to hanging out with friends in the trees.

They landed and Dean released Castiel. Despite the natural dragon-warmth he always felt, he was startled to realize that he actually missed the added heat that Castiel's body had added as the two held onto each other in flight. Hmm, how strange. It was probably just because of the added heat, Dean decided. He wasn't used to having added body heat in flight.

"So what do you want to do?" Dean asked to distract himself from his odd thoughts.

Castiel frowned momentarily, as though thinking, and then shrugged. "I don't know," he said quietly. He turned somewhat and looked out over the lake. It wasn't strange that he was doing this, but it was odd how he was standing.

Dean hadn't noticed it before but now he frowned and stepped closer to his friend. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Castiel looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, but the way his blue eyes darkened and clouded over quickly let Dean know he was lying. Castiel was a terrible liar, it seemed. Either that or Dean was just so used to lying that he knew lying when he saw it.

"Why are you lying? Did your dad do it? What happened?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Cas."

"Dean," Castiel mocked.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

"Maybe I don't want your help," Castiel said with a huff of breath, and for a moment the two just stared at each other. Then Dean looked away and sighed, shrugging somewhat.

"Well…alright, if that's what you want," he said, because he didn't want to intrude. He figured he was already pushing his luck as it was, having Castiel not spread his secret around or discriminate against him because he was a dragon, even a half one.

Castiel sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "No - I'm sorry. I just…I'm not used to talking about it," he admitted somewhat shyly.

Dean nodded. "Yeah…I'm not used to talking about my dragon stuff, either."

"So I guess this is…new for both of us."

"Guess so," Dean agreed. He paused momentarily, debating on his next words. He knew what he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure if he should say them. It seemed like Castiel was already uncomfortable enough. "Cas…"

"Yeah?" Castiel asked, glancing at him.

"Look…if you ever need to…get away, just…feel free to call, okay?"

"Call?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded. This was getting awkward but as a friend, he thought he should at least offer. Especially when Castiel hadn't turned his back on him yet when he knew his secret. "If you ever just need to get away from…the house or…from him or just…get away or something, just give me a call. I'll…come get you or something, I don't know." He shook his head and sighed.

It was quiet for a long moment. The two of them looked out over the pristine surface of the lake which reflected the setting sun. A gentle breeze filtered around them. It was quiet for so long that Dean wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. He was about to turn and take it all back when Castiel took in a breath to speak.

"Thanks," Castiel murmured. Dean glanced at him. "I just…thanks. And it was nothing, really. He just kinda pushed me into the wall and I think I tripped over my feet and hit the ground wrong. That's all. I'm just a little sore. Nothing major or even worth mentioning."

"It's making you favor your right side - I'd say it's worth mentioning," Dean commented.

"Maybe."

Dean sighed. "Well, are you gonna let me heal you or stand there all evening?"

Castiel gave him a sideways glance. "Really?"

"Duh, dude. Where on your side?"

"Uhh…right hip," Castiel said with a small frown. "Are you sure? You don't have-"

"Yes, I'm sure." Dean moved forward. "Um…this is going to sound awkward and I mean this in no perverted way, I promise, but lift your shirt."

Castiel frowned at him for a moment and then did so. His right side was a little bruised, mostly around his lower side toward his hip. It wasn't a dark bruise, though, so Dean knew it wasn't bad. Good. He could heal it without touching the actual injury spot and just focus on the part of the bruise he could see.

"Okay - again, in no perverted way - I'm going to touch your side."

He waited for Castiel to nod before he reached his hand outward and pressed it against the smooth flesh of Castiel's lower right side. He could have sworn he felt a tingling sensation in his fingers, but that might have just been the fact that he was now releasing a bit of his pent-up magic into Castiel so he could heal the bruise. Bruises were hard to heal, actually. He could ease the pain and bring the bruise down, but if it was a big bruise, that was pretty much all he could do. Luckily, though, this was a small one considering the fact that it was still light in color, and it started to disappear entirely. Castiel squirmed a little beneath his touch, frowning somewhat.

"Feels odd," he said.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Dean said. "Magic healing is odd. Almost done."

A few seconds later, he pulled his hand away from Castiel's side and looked at his work with a smile. The bruise was gone.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Castiel looked down and smiled. "I don't know whether to be creeped out that you can do that, or amazed." He shook his head.

"Dude, you're totally amazed by me," Dean said, flashing him a grin.

"Don't be so full of yourself," Castiel snorted.

Dean rolled his eyes and promptly pushed Castiel into the edge of the lake, causing him to fall and make a small splash in the shallow water. Castiel sat there for a moment as though stunned, before he stared at Dean.

"You didn't just do that," he said.

"Oh, but I did," Dean said with a grin. "What are you going to do about it?"

* * *

And there's the chapter :D Like I said, Cas is present. Also not much happens but yeah. It's like a breather chapter and stuff. Anywho, promise some stuff will (hopefully) happen next chapter. And feel free to message spam me if I take too long! (like a month). Thanks again. You guys have been so great to stick with this story so far! I hope you are still sticking with it and that you will review :D They really do motivate me. It's why this chapter came to be XD So review for more!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	7. Quick(ish?) Note (READ if you are a fan)

I know it's been ages - over a year, even! And I really apologize. I know you all have been hoping for an update and, well...I haven't delivered.

To be honest I never though _Dragon's Blood_ would go very far. It was a challenge given to me by Cuppie, but that was all it was at the time. But you guys liked it and thus it was expanded, and well, it is what it is now. I really want to update it, it's just I no longer have my notes (chip died) and I just...I don't know. I'm out of it, I guess. If you want to see all the reasons, see chapter twenty-three of _Steady Now_, it's explained there in further detail, and I really don't want to rewrite everything. I really don't want to keep thinking about it.

As it is, this story is almost dead, but it's not. I plan to revive it in the near-future. Please check my profile for further information - when I know something, I will put an update there or something.

As it is, I'm tired, spent, and I really have no inspiration for, well, _anything_. Life just sucks. Sucks all the _life_ out of life. Dunno how much more I can take -_- There's this knot in my stomach and it won't go away. I'm tired.

Anyway. Don't mean to be all cynical and whatnot, but whatever. Achem. Changing attitude.

SO! I'm in college now, yay? I dunno. Dunno what I want to do, so, yeah, take from that what you will. What does this have to do with this story? Welllll, a lot. This is also stopping my efforts because I have SO MANY PAPERS I have to write D: Ughhhh it's ridiculous. And it has to be at LEAST 7 pages, which means she wants at least 8 pages, because "7 is the bare minimum and you will be docked for it". So. Yeah. Also I'm in a creative writing class, and I have a short story I have to write by Monday. If you have any ideas...please feel free to let me know XD I suck at beginnings.

what else is happening with me that's on the better side of the doom and gloom...hmm...

Oh! _Almost Living_ is my longest story now - it's a story of mine on fictionpress, so, yeah. I guess that's something to cheer about. Hurray? Also working on _Monster_, the fourth book in the _Tasteful Series_, also on fictionpress. I'm a lot more active there than here, sorry :/

Why is that? Well, I haven't been watching Supernatural since like season 6, so I'm reallyyyy behind. I know the general plot of what's happened since (Ghosty, you're mah go-to gal for that info, hehe) but haven't watched it for myself. Also I'm into other things now - _Gears of War_, for instance, takes up a lot of my time. I'm either reading the books or playing the games. Or I'm hunting down _Bambi 2_ relentlessly on the internet because I haven't seen it since I was like twelve and I'm feeling nostalgic.

ugh this is getting long. Sorry.

Anyway, just wanted to say this story is _not_ dead, just, you know, barely hanging on on life support. With time it will be revived. Just wanted to thank you guys for being awesome and sticking with this story even through all the long waits between chapters. Your loyalty is appreciated ;) Makes me happy when I'm sad, so, yeah, I guess that's good.

Anywho, again, just, thanks, and I will seriously try to have an update sometime...in the future...dunno _when_, but, yeah, I'm thinkin' about it, so. Yeah. It's not all hopeless.

Thanks for following this.

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


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